German chamomile
Common on field margins and arable land; provides little nectar but plenty of yellow pollen from spring to summer; chamomile fields attract bees.
- Nectar
- Low
- Pollen
- Medium
- Flowering
- JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
- Pollen colour
- Height
- 0,15-0,5 m
- Life cycle
- Annual
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German chamomile is an annual that grows wild in cereal fields, fallow land and along roadsides, and is also cultivated for medicinal use. The small disc florets in the yellow centre secrete a little nectar; bees collect mostly pollen. Individual plants contribute little, but large chamomile fields and dense stands make a noticeable contribution to the late-spring pollen flow.
Flowering
It flowers from May to August; plants that germinate in autumn can start flowering in April in a Mediterranean climate.
Honey and pollen
No monofloral honey is produced. The pollen loads are yellow.
Note for the beekeeper
In cultivated chamomile fields the flower heads are harvested while open, so the time available to bees can be short. Chamomile in cereal fields disappears quickly with herbicide use; do not rely on this source when choosing an apiary site.