Flax
Fibre and oil crop whose flowers open in the morning and fall by midday, giving bees brief but regular nectar and pollen.
- Nectar
- Low
- Pollen
- Medium
- Flowering
- JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
- Height
- 0,5-1,2 m
- Life cycle
- Annual
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The blue flowers of flax open anew every morning and drop their petals towards midday. Nectar glands at the base secrete small amounts of nectar; honey bees collect both nectar and pollen in the morning hours. The plant is largely self-pollinating; bee visits make a limited but positive contribution to seed yield.
Flowering
In June-July depending on sowing date, lasting about 2-3 weeks in the field. Bee visits are heavy on sunny mornings until about 10-11 o'clock; in the afternoon the field is almost deserted.
Honey and pollen
No flax honey is produced; on large sown areas it makes a small contribution to mixed summer honey.
Note for the beekeeper
Flax is not a flow source on its own, but in regions where oilseed flax is widely grown it provides pollen diversity in early summer. When assessing it for your bees, bear in mind that visits happen very early in the day.