Sainfoin
A forage legume of Central and East Anatolia whose pink spikes give abundant, easily reached nectar, more attractive than alfalfa, and a pale mild honey.
- Nectar
- Very good
- Pollen
- Medium
- Flowering
- JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
- Height
- 0,3-0,8 m
- Life cycle
- Perennial
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Sainfoin is a perennial fodder legume adapted to calcareous, dry soils and is regarded as one of the best honey plants. Its pink, red-veined pea flowers form upright racemes. Unlike lucerne, its flower structure lets honey bees reach the nectar easily, which is why bees prefer sainfoin to lucerne. Nectar flows abundantly in warm, sunny weather.
Flowering
The first flowering runs from late May to late June; after cutting, a second, weaker flowering follows in July. Flowering in a given field lasts about 3-4 weeks.
Honey and pollen
Sainfoin honey is very pale yellow, mild and floral. In Russia and central Europe it is known as a monofloral honey; in Turkey it is an important component of mountain pasture and steppe honey.
Note for the beekeeper
For hay yield, sainfoin is usually cut at the start of flowering. Agreeing with the grower to postpone cutting until after full bloom markedly increases the honey yield. The sown areas in Erzurum, Kars, Sivas and Ardahan are valuable for the June migration.