Cretan rockrose
Pink rockrose of maquis and pine understorey; gives abundant morning pollen in April–June, almost no nectar, and its leaf resin contributes to propolis.
- Nectar
- None
- Pollen
- Good
- Flowering
- JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
- Height
- 0.5-1 m
- Life cycle
- Perennial
🐝 Add to my apiary
Log in to add it to your apiary.Value for beekeeping
Cretan rockrose forms extensive cover along the Aegean, Mediterranean and Marmara coasts, in maquis, under Turkish red pine and in areas opened up after fire. Its pink-purple flowers with crumpled petals carry numerous stamens and produce abundant pollen; its nectar, however, is next to nothing. In coastal regions it is one of the leading pollen sources of late spring.
Flowering
It flowers in April–June. Each flower lives only one day; it opens in the morning and drops its petals in the afternoon. Bees therefore concentrate their pollen collecting in the morning hours.
Honey and pollen
It is not a honey source. The pollen loads are yellowish and strongly support brood rearing.
Note for the beekeeper
Its leaves and shoots secrete a sticky, aromatic resin; compounds from this resin have been identified in Cretan propolis. Because it spreads quickly after fire, it is an important pollen source in the first years for apiaries in burnt Turkish red pine areas.