Common sage
The wild sage of the Adriatic coast; in Croatia and Dalmatia it yields a renowned monofloral sage honey, and in gardens it is a bee favourite.
- Nectar
- Good
- Pollen
- Medium
- Flowering
- JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
- Crystallisation
- Slow
- Height
- 0,3-0,7 m
- Life cycle
- Perennial
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A shrub native to the Adriatic coasts of the Balkans and widely grown around the world as a medicinal and culinary plant. It forms large stands on the limestone slopes of Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Montenegro, where monofloral honey is harvested regularly. It is a good nectar plant with a moderate pollen contribution.
Flowering
Its blue-purple flowers open from May to July for about a month. Secretion is high in mild, humid weather; dry, cold winds such as the bora can stop the flow.
Honey and pollen
Sage honey is light amber, with a light herbal aroma and a balanced sweetness; it crystallises slowly and can stay liquid for a long time. Salvia pollen usually appears at a low percentage in pollen analysis, so sensory characteristics matter in defining the honey.
Note for the beekeeper
It does not grow wild in Turkey; in Anatolia 'sage' usually means Salvia fruticosa. When it is grown in gardens and fields, harvesting the leaves before or after flowering leaves flowers for the bees.