Persian clover
An annual forage clover with short flower tubes that honey bees work easily; on irrigated fields it adds a useful spring nectar flow.
- Nectar
- Good
- Pollen
- Medium
- Flowering
- JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
- Height
- 0.3-0.8 m
- Life cycle
- Annual
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Persian clover is a fast-growing annual forage legume. Its flower tube is short, so honey bees reach the nectar easily; in sown fields it is a good nectar source and a moderate pollen source. In mild, humid weather, especially on irrigated land, secretion rises markedly.
Flowering
On the Mediterranean and Aegean coasts, fields sown in autumn flower from April to June; inland, flowering comes a little later. After mowing the plant regrows and may produce a second, weaker bloom.
Honey and pollen
It is not marketed as a separate monofloral honey; it contributes to light-coloured spring honeys blended from clover and alfalfa. Its pink-to-lilac flowers, with their upside-down structure, are easy to tell from other clovers.
Note for the beekeeper
Valuable for apiaries near irrigated forage fields. Delaying the cut until after full bloom gives bees a substantial gain; if a flowering field is to be sprayed, talk to the farmer beforehand.