Motherwort

Value for beekeeping

It grows on nutrient-rich soils around villages, at the foot of hedges, in ruins and along roadsides in Europe, northern and eastern Anatolia, the Caucasus and Central Asia; in many places it also occurs as a garden escape. Russian and Ukrainian beekeeping sources list it as a good honey plant. Honey bees easily reach the nectar in its short-tubed pink flowers; its pollen contribution is moderate.

Flowering

Pink to pale purple flowers open in tiers along the stem from June to August; flowering moves from the bottom upwards and so lasts a long time. Secretion is high in hot, humid weather and falls in drought.

Honey and pollen

It is of no commercial importance as a monofloral honey; it goes into mixed midsummer honeys.

Note for the beekeeper

A hardy perennial that can be sown on empty ground around the apiary and along garden edges; it self-seeds. The dry seed capsules are prickly, so it should not be sown close to paths.