French lavender
Spring-flowering maquis shrub with tufted purple spikes, a good nectar source that yields a monofloral honey in Iberia.
- Nectar
- Good
- Pollen
- Medium
- Flowering
- JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
- Height
- 0,3-1 m
- Life cycle
- Perennial
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French lavender is one of the dominant maquis plants on the acidic, sandy and schistose soils of the Aegean and Mediterranean coasts. Its small dark purple flowers are gathered in dense spikes; the large purple bracts at the top of the spike serve only to attract. Honey bees take the nectar easily, and pollen is moderate.
Flowering
On the coasts it flowers from late March to early June, for about 6-8 weeks. Together with Turkish red pine and rockrose, it supports spring build-up.
Honey and pollen
In Spain and Portugal it is known as a separate monofloral honey; it is light amber with a floral-herbal scent. In Turkey it usually goes into mixed maquis honey.
Note for the beekeeper
- It is one of the mainstays of the swarming season in coastal apiaries.
- It quickly spreads again on heavily burnt or cleared maquis.
- It should not be confused with Lavandula angustifolia and lavandin, which are grown for lavender oil production.