Thymus longicaulis
A creeping thyme of NW Anatolia and the Balkans whose pink-purple flowers give good nectar in May-July, adding to thyme and wildflower honeys.
- Nectar
- Good
- Pollen
- Medium
- Flowering
- JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
- Height
- 0,05-0,15 m
- Life cycle
- Perennial
🐝 Add to my apiary
Log in to add it to your apiary.Value for beekeeping
Thymus longicaulis is a small thyme, ranging from Italy and the Balkans to north-western Anatolia, that forms mats with creeping, rooting stems. Its small pink-purple lipped flowers are gathered in heads at the shoot tips. As is typical of the thyme genus, its nectar is easy for honey bees to reach and aromatic; bees work it intensively at hot, sunny midday hours.
Flowering
It flowers from late May to July, for 4-6 weeks depending on altitude. It grows in dry, stony meadows and forest clearings.
Honey and pollen
It is not produced as a separate honey; it goes into thyme and wildflower honeys. Nectar and pollen measurements specific to the species are limited.
Note for the beekeeper
The main sources of Turkey's famous thyme honeys are Thymbra and Origanum species; creeping Thymus species contribute in a supporting role. The thyme genus is taxonomically complex and separating species requires expert examination.