Cross-leaved heath
Heath of wet Western European heathland and bogs; its pink bells in June–September give bees a moderate nectar supply.
- Nectar
- Medium
- Pollen
- Low
- Flowering
- JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
- Height
- 0.2-0.5 m
- Life cycle
- Perennial
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Cross-leaved heath is a low shrub of the moist, acidic heathlands and bog margins of the Netherlands, Belgium, northern Germany and Britain. Its pale pink, large bell-shaped flowers, clustered at the branch tips, are visited by bees; its nectar and pollen value is moderate, and honey bees have only limited access to the pollen.
Flowering
It flowers from late June to September. Because it grows on moist soil, it keeps up nectar secretion better than dry heathland plants, even in dry summers.
Honey and pollen
No separate honey is produced; its nectar goes, together with ling and bell heather, into mixed heather honey. Bumblebees use the flowers more effectively than honey bees.
Note for the beekeeper
It does not occur naturally in Turkey. In the Netherlands and Germany it is a complementary source in the wet parts of the heath for beekeepers who migrate there. These areas are mostly protected; permission is needed before placing hives.