Coltsfoot
Among the first flowers after snowmelt; in February-April it supplies plenty of pollen and some nectar, kick-starting spring build-up.
- Nectar
- Medium
- Pollen
- Good
- Flowering
- JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
- Pollen colour
- Height
- 0,1-0,3 m
- Life cycle
- Perennial
🐝 Add to my apiary
Log in to add it to your apiary.Value for beekeeping
Coltsfoot is a perennial that favours clayey, damp soils, stream banks, road embankments and freshly dug ground. Its value lies in the very early opening of its yellow flowers, which appear before the leaves: together with willow and cornelian cherry it provides the first fresh pollen of the season. The flowers open only in sunny, mild hours and close in cloudy weather, so visits are concentrated around midday.
Flowering
Depending on altitude and snow cover, it stays in flower for 4-6 weeks between February and April.
Honey and pollen
No monofloral honey forms; the nectar is used up entirely in feeding brood. The pollen loads are orange-yellow.
Note for the beekeeper
The plant contains pyrrolizidine alkaloids; these can occur in trace amounts in honey, but since no nectar is left for harvest in early spring, their practical importance is low. Placing hives in south-facing, sheltered spots helps the bees make better use of this early source.