The dandelion honey plant is an unpretentious perennial herb of the Aster family, growing in the wild. It is an important source for replenishing the stocks of pollen and nectar – it provides a supporting feed after the wintering of bees
The content of the article
- 1 Distribution and Description
- 2 Honey productivity
- 2.1 Pollen
- 2.2 Honey quality
- 3 Useful Properties
Distribution and Description
This wild plant is most common in Europe, Asia and America.
In the wild, it occurs in forest glades and meadows. It often grows like a weed grass near roads, in fields, summer cottages, in city parks.
Dandelion is a plant up to 30 centimeters high with lanceolate bright green leaves growing from the root. The yellow inflorescence, collected from many small petals, is placed on a leafless stem-arrow.
Propagated by seeds of bats, formed after flowering and resembling an airy, fluffy whitish-gray ball.
Honey productivity
The flowering time is long, taking up almost the entire growing season – from May to June. The total flowering time is up to 30 days.
The dandelion, as a melliferous plant, provides an abundant supporting flow in early spring, as it blooms even before the gardens begin to bloom.
This herb attracts bees with its aroma in the morning, when the flower baskets are fully open.
From 15 to 50 kilograms of honey is collected from a hectare. Under favorable weather conditions, one bee colony can collect up to 2 kilograms of nectar!
Honey is not suitable for feeding bee colonies in winter, as it crystallizes in two weeks. Most of its reserves are eaten by the bees themselves even before the beginning of autumn.
Pollen
From April to May, the grass gives off a lot of bright yellow pollen. During this period, one strong family brings up to 3 kilograms of pollen per day.
For bee colonies, this culture is more important precisely as a pollen.
In the springtime, families are actively gaining strength before the main bribe. Old overwintered bees work on inflorescences and feed the young bees obtained from pollen.
Honey quality
Important! In rainy years, the inflorescences do not open and do not emit nectar. During such unfavorable periods, bees can collect up to 12 kilograms of honey.
Honey has a bitter dandelion flavor. After the race, it is thick and viscous, with a dark amber color. It crystallizes quickly, forming a precipitate with large granules.
Useful Properties
The pollen contains a large amount of vegetable protein and amino acids important for the human body.
Dandelion honey is used:
- with high blood pressure;
- in case of malfunctions of the stomach and intestines;
- with tumor processes;
- with various inflammations;
- with dropsy;
- with anemia;
- with metabolic disorders;
- with poor appetite.
It is necessary to use it every day as a preventive measure for diseases of the liver and gallbladder.
