Pink savory
A pink-flowered shrubby savory of coastal Mediterranean scrub; it flowers in late spring before the thymes and so extends the season for coastal beekeepers.
- Nectar
- Good
- Pollen
- Medium
- Flowering
- JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
- Height
- 0,2-0,5 m
- Life cycle
- Perennial
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A small, hairy and strongly scented shrub of limestone, stony maquis and phrygana from the coasts of southern and western Anatolia to the Aegean islands, Cyprus and Libya. It is a good nectar plant with a moderate pollen contribution and forms dense stands on the slopes where it spreads.
Flowering
Its pink-purple flowers open in whorls in the leaf axils from April to June. In coastal areas this period fills the gap between the spring flow and the thyme flow. Secretion is good on mild, calm and slightly humid days.
Honey and pollen
It is not known as a monofloral honey under its own name; on the Aegean and Mediterranean coasts it contributes to mixed spicy honeys together with thyme and sage.
Note for the beekeeper
In the Aegean region it is gathered locally under names such as za'atar or thyme; identification should rely on the Latin name. When hives are moved to coastal rocks at the end of spring, slopes where this plant is abundant keep colonies strong until the thyme flow.