Thymus kotschyanus
A native thyme common on the highlands of eastern and central Anatolia; it flowers profusely in early to midsummer and is a key nectar source for highland honey.
- Nectar
- Good
- Pollen
- Medium
- Flowering
- JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
- Height
- 0,1-0,3 m
- Life cycle
- Perennial
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A small thyme with a woody base, common on stony steppe and highland pastures in eastern Anatolia, the eastern part of Central Anatolia, the Caucasus and the mountains of Iran and Iraq. In the regions where highland beekeeping is practised it forms large carpets and adds important nectar to mixed highland honey.
Flowering
Its pink-purple flowers open from June to August depending on altitude; at higher elevations flowering starts late and lasts long. Secretion is good under highland conditions with hot days and cool nights; on heavily grazed pastures the number of flowers falls.
Honey and pollen
It is not sold as a separate monofloral honey; it gives highland honeys a spicy aroma and a slight sharpness. In pollen analyses of eastern Anatolian honeys, Thymus pollen is one of the types found most often.
Note for the beekeeper
Timing the move to the highlands with the start of thyme flowering increases the yield. There are no figures on honey yield for this plant; the assessment is based on regional observation.