Crimson clover
An annual clover sown as green manure and cover crop; its blood-red spring heads make it a better honey bee source than red clover.
- Nectar
- Good
- Pollen
- Medium
- Flowering
- JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
- Height
- 0,2-0,5 m
- Life cycle
- Annual
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An annual clover native to southern and western Europe and the Mediterranean, sown in autumn and flowering in spring. It is used for forage, green manure, as a cover crop and between rows in vineyards and orchards. Its corolla tube is shorter than that of red clover, so honey bees reach the nectar more easily; in the south-eastern United States it is known as an important source of the spring flow.
Flowering
It flowers from April to June for 3-4 weeks depending on the region. The heads open from the bottom upwards, so a single field stays in flower for a long time. Secretion is high on mild, humid spring days.
Honey and pollen
A honey crop can be taken from large areas, but in Turkey and Europe it is not common as a separate monofloral honey. The honey is light in colour and mildly aromatic.
Note for the beekeeper
It can be sown in autumn around the apiary to fill the spring gap before black locust. In fields used for green manure, postponing ploughing-in until flowering is over is a great help to bees.