Red clover
A widespread forage and meadow clover; its long florets leave most nectar to bumblebees, while honey bees visit mainly the second cut and for pollen.
- Nectar
- Medium
- Pollen
- Medium
- Flowering
- JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
- Pollen colour
- Height
- 0,2-0,6 m
- Life cycle
- Perennial
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A meadow plant native to Europe and western Asia; in many countries, including Turkey, it is sown on large areas as a forage crop. Its corolla tube is about 8-10 mm long, so the honey bee's tongue cannot reach most of the nectar and the main pollinators are bumblebees. Honey bees work it more in the flowering after the second cut, when the flower tubes stay shorter, and in dry periods when the nectar level rises; they also visit it to collect pollen.
Flowering
It flowers from May to September. For seed production, the flowering that follows the second cut is usually used.
Honey and pollen
A separate monofloral honey is not common; it contributes to meadow honeys. Its pollen loads are dark brown.
Note for the beekeeper
In seed production fields, placing bee colonies for pollination increases the seed yield; in that case it is important to bring the colonies to the field at the start of flowering and to make sure there is no more attractive source nearby. Its honey value is markedly lower than that of white clover or lucerne.