The salvia honey plant is a perennial plant from the labiate family. In nature, it occurs in three forms: as a grass, a dwarf shrub and a shrub. It is a cross-pollinated crop with a special flower structure that produces large amounts of nectar.
The content of the article
- 1 Significance for agriculture
- 1.1 Drug
- 1.2 Meadow
- 1.3 Muddy
- 1.4 Muscat
- 1.5 Deserted
- 2 Agrotechnics
- 3 Honey productivity
- 4 Useful Properties
Significance for agriculture
Wild plant species are widespread in various regions of our country. But some varieties are grown only in specialized farms, such as medicinal sage.
Representatives of this species are excellent honey plants and medicinal plants that can be used as ornamental plantings in personal plots.
The following varieties are valuable for apiaries:
- drug;
- meadow;
- annular (whorled);
- deserted;
- nutmeg.
Drug
This sage variety is cultivated artificially in the Krasnodar Territory, in the south of Ukraine. For its sowing, high dry areas are chosen.
The herb has a tetrahedral, branched stem covered with heart-shaped leaves. Due to the abundance of hairs, the leaves have a characteristic silvery-white color.
Large double-lipped flowers of a purple hue are concentrated in the axils of the upper leaves – loose spikelets are formed here. Inflorescences bloom in June and July. The flowering period takes an average of 30-35 days.
In one area, a culture can grow for three to four years.
Meadow
This variety of sage is found in the wild in the European part of the Russian Federation and in the Caucasus. Grows in dry places along roads, in meadows. It has an erect stem, fluffed at the top – here the flowers are collected in whorls of 5-6 pieces.
Corollas are blue, pink, less often white. The secretion of nectar is high, however, it is difficult for bees to get to it due to the great depth of flowers.
Long bloom – from May to early September.
Muddy
This honey plant variety is a perennial covered with characteristic hairs, with stems up to 80 centimeters high. It is found in the fields as a weed, as well as on arid Caucasian slopes and in the steppes of the European part of Russia.
The plant actively produces nectar and excretes pollen well. Bees visit its inflorescences with pleasure. Blooming of racemose reddish-lilac flowers occurs in June, August (more than 30 days).
The culture is adapted to live in arid regions. Hot and moderately humid weather increases the intensity of nectar production.
Muscat
This sage variety is cultivated in the Crimean and Caucasian fields as an essential oil herb. In the wild, it is found in weedy places. Here, the shrub grows well on sandy dry soils.
Its stem is heavily pubescent and reaches a height of 1,2 meters. Pink-white flowers bloom in July and August for a period of 40 to 50 days.
Deserted
This type of honey plant grows in the Caucasus. The plant has a long (up to 80 cm) stem.
Flowering takes about 50 days. Densely pubescent dark purple inflorescences bloom in June, August, which provides a good supporting flow for apiaries.
Agrotechnics
Sage is a honey plant that can be sown in early spring (this applies more to the nutmeg and medicinal varieties).
A distance of 50-60 centimeters is left between the rows. Seedlings appear in 10-14 days. They must be thinned out, and the aisles must be weeded out.
Important! The flowering of this perennial culture begins only from the second year.
Honey productivity
To obtain high-quality monofloral honey, apiaries are taken to crops of cultivated sage immediately after the completion of the flowering of the gardens, but before the appearance of inflorescences in buckwheat – that is, in the free-flowing summer period.
Honey productivity directly depends on the variety:
- sage whorled honey plant, which gives pollen well and on average up to 250-300 kilograms of nectar from one hectare of fields (there is information about a record 400, 650 and even 900 kg!);
- the meadow variety, despite the long flowering that takes the whole summer, provides up to 100 kilograms;
- the productivity of the medicinal variety is also relatively low – about 120-130 kilograms of nectar;
- clary sage is a real honey record holder – up to 400 kilograms per hectare can be obtained from it.
The color of the product obtained may vary depending on the variety:
- dark golden – in the medicinal variety;
- light yellow – in the nutmeg variety;
- light golden – in a whorled species;
- light amber – obtained in Ukraine, where the pharmacy sage is grown.
The aroma is pleasant, herbaceous. The taste is subtle. Crystallization occurs rather quickly after pumping out of the honeycomb due to the high sugar content.
Useful Properties
In folk medicine, the main purpose of sage honey is its use as an anti-inflammatory agent:
- with colds;
- with diseases of the stomach and intestines;
- with skin wounds and abscesses;
- if the face is affected by acne or acne.
Honey can be used in homemade cosmetic recipes and also as a general tonic. It is taken with caution for allergies and diabetes.
