Bell heather
Bell heather of dry Western European heaths; its purple-pink bells in June–September give good nectar ahead of the main ling heather flow.
- Nectar
- Good
- Pollen
- Medium
- Flowering
- JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
- Height
- 0.2-0.6 m
- Life cycle
- Perennial
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Bell heather is a low shrub of the dry, acidic, sandy heathlands of Britain, Ireland, western France and the Benelux. Its small, bell-shaped purple-pink flowers secrete nectar that honey bees can reach. Because it flowers before ling (Calluna vulgaris), it provides the first flow of the season for beekeepers moving hives to the heath.
Flowering
It flowers from late June to September, most heavily in July. Nectar secretion continues in dry, hot summers, but on very dry soils the plants may wither early.
Honey and pollen
Honey coming mainly from this species is dark, reddish and strong-tasting; unlike ling honey, it does not turn jelly-like. Because it is usually harvested mixed with ling honey, it is rarely sold as a separate product.
Note for the beekeeper
It does not occur naturally in Turkey. On heather migrations, bringing hives in early July lets you use both bell heather and the ling flow that starts in August.