Tumble thistle
Spring plant of the steppes of eastern Anatolia and the Middle East; visited by bees, though data on its nectar and pollen value are limited.
- Nectar
- Medium
- Pollen
- Medium
- Flowering
- JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
- Height
- 0,2-0,6 m
- Life cycle
- Perennial
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Tumble thistle is a spiny perennial with milky sap that grows on dry steppe slopes in Central, Eastern and South-eastern Anatolia and extends to Iran and the Levant. Its young shoots are gathered as a vegetable, its roasted seeds are used to make kenger coffee, and a gum is obtained from its root. Its small purple-red flowers are gathered in a spiny head and are visited by honey bees and other insects. As there are no reliable measurements of its nectar and pollen, its contribution is estimated as moderate.
Flowering
Depending on altitude it flowers between April and June; the ripe plant dries out, breaks off at the stem and is rolled along by the wind.
Honey and pollen
No monofloral honey is known; it is part of the mixed spring honey of steppe apiaries.
Note for the beekeeper
Over-harvesting has reduced populations in many areas; protecting it on bee pastures contributes to steppe flower diversity.