Salvia tomentosa
A subshrubby sage common in dry oak scrub across Anatolia; between May and July it gives honey bees good nectar and contributes to mountain honeys.
- Nectar
- Good
- Pollen
- Medium
- Flowering
- JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
- Height
- 0,5-1 m
- Life cycle
- Perennial
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A subshrub with grey-white hairy leaves that grows in dry oak and pine clearings and on stony slopes across the Balkans, Crimea, the Caucasus and most of Anatolia. In Turkey it is especially frequent in inner western Anatolia, the inland Black Sea region and the higher parts of the Mediterranean region. Its nectar value is good; on slopes where it is widespread it makes a clear contribution to the late spring flow.
Flowering
Its pale purple to lilac flowers open from May to July; flowering is later at higher altitudes. Bee visits are heavy on mild, calm days; hot, dry winds reduce secretion.
Honey and pollen
No separate monofloral honey is known; it is part of mixed mountain and forest-edge honeys. Its pollen contribution is moderate.
Note for the beekeeper
Its leaves are gathered locally as sage; careless uprooting and overharvesting during flowering shrink its range. In oak areas it is a reliable source that supports colony build-up when hives stand there in late spring.