Common Ragwort
Jacobaea vulgaris
- Flowering period
- June–September
- Nectar
- mäßig
- Pollen
- mäßig
Common ragwort blooms from June to September in pastures, along roadsides, and on fallow land; nectar and pollen are both rated moderate. More important than the yield is its content: the plant contains pyrrolizidine alkaloids that pass into honey via nectar and pollen. Germany's Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) classifies some of these substances as toxic to the liver and, in animal testing, damaging to genetic material, and recommends keeping intake as low as possible; there are so far no statutory maximum levels for honey. Anyone with colonies near large stands should take this into account when choosing a site and when timing the harvest.
Sources (5)
- Bienenweiden, Hortipendium
- Fragen und Antworten zu Pyrrolizidinalkaloiden in Lebensmitteln, Bundesinstitut für Risikobewertung
- Filipiak, Walczyńska, Denisow, Petanidou, Ziółkowska (2022): Phenology and production of pollen, nectar and sugar in 1612 plant species from various environments
- Baude, Kunin, Memmott (2015): Nectar sugar values of common British plant species [AgriLand]
- Baude, Kunin, Davies, Wright, Memmott (2025): Pollen production values of common British plant species