Jujube
Its small yellow-green flowers offer abundant nectar on an open disc for weeks; a leading honey tree in China, a garden tree in Turkey.
- Nectar
- Very good
- Pollen
- Medium
- Flowering
- JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
- Height
- 5-10 m
- Life cycle
- Perennial
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Jujube is a fruit tree with thorny branches that tolerates dry, hot climates. Its star-shaped, yellow-green flowers, 4-6 mm across, have a broad, open nectar disc in the centre; the nectar is plentiful and easy for honey bees to reach. In northern China, large jujube orchards provide one of the most important summer nectar flows.
Flowering
From late May to July the flowers open in succession as the new shoots grow; on a single tree flowering can stretch over 1-2 months. Nectar flows well on warm, humid days and drops markedly in dry, hot winds.
Honey and pollen
In China monofloral jujube honey is common; it is amber to dark amber in colour with a strong, distinctive aroma. Its pollen contribution is moderate.
Note for the beekeeper
In Turkey it grows in the Aegean, Mediterranean and south-eastern regions as a garden tree, along vineyard edges and on boundaries; it is not widespread enough for a honey harvest but is a strong support in early summer. Bee pollination is important for fruit set.