Rosemary
A Mediterranean shrub with good nectar that blooms from late winter into spring; the source of Spain's famous pale, fast-granulating rosemary honey.
- Nectar
- Good
- Pollen
- Medium
- Flowering
- JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
- Crystallisation
- Fast
- Height
- 0,5-2 m
- Life cycle
- Perennial
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Rosemary is a strongly aromatic, evergreen Mediterranean shrub with needle-like leaves. Its pale blue-lilac lipped flowers are a good nectar source that honey bees work easily. Flowering on mild days at the end of winter, it provides one of the first nectar and pollen inflows of the year; in eastern Spain extensive rosemary scrub makes up the main spring flow.
Flowering
On the Mediterranean coast it flowers from February to May, and in mild places partly in autumn and winter as well. Nectar secretion continues even on cool but sunny days.
Honey and pollen
Rosemary honey is very light, almost colourless, with a mild floral-herbal aroma. It crystallises quickly and finely; when set it is white and creamy. It is one of Europe's well-known monofloral honeys.
Note for the beekeeper
In Turkey it is mostly grown in gardens, parks and hedges; as there are few large natural rosemary stands, a separate honey is hard to obtain. As a drought-tolerant plant that takes shape with pruning, it is recommended as a hedge around the apiary. Its new name is Salvia rosmarinus.