Jerusalem sage
A grey-leaved shrub of Mediterranean scrub with large yellow flowers; in late spring it mainly feeds large wild bees and gives honey bees moderate pollen and nectar.
- Nectar
- Medium
- Pollen
- Medium
- Flowering
- JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
- Height
- 0,6-1,3 m
- Life cycle
- Perennial
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A shrub with grey, felted leaves that grows in maquis, phrygana and on rocky slopes from Italy to the Balkans, the Aegean islands and western Anatolia; in Europe it is also a common ornamental in dry gardens. Its large yellow flowers are mainly suited to large bees such as carpenter bees and bumblebees. Honey bees collect pollen and reach part of the nectar.
Flowering
It flowers in tiers along the stem from April to June. In coastal regions this coincides with the end of the spring flow; it is very drought-tolerant.
Honey and pollen
There is no monofloral honey. On the Aegean coast it makes a small contribution to mixed late-spring honeys.
Note for the beekeeper
It is not an important source for honey bees on its own, but it is a shrub that flowers for years without care in dry coastal gardens and supports wild bees. Turkey has many native species of the genus Phlomis, and some of them, with shorter-tubed flowers, are better suited to honey bees.