Late Summer and Autumn: Heather, Sunflower, and Buckwheat

Late summer forage (July to October) holds dual significance for bee colonies: it provides the last major honey harvests of the year and -- even more importantly -- it supplies the colonies during the rearing of winter bees. The quality of late forage directly determines a colony's ability to overwinter.

In this lesson, you will learn about the most important late summer forage plants, including the legendary heather with its unique press honey.

Common Heather (Calluna vulgaris) -- The Honey You Have to Press

Common heather is one of the most fascinating forage plants in European beekeeping. Its honey has properties that fundamentally distinguish it from all other honeys -- and that require a completely different harvesting method.

Heather Profile

The Unique Feature: Thixotropic Honey

Heather honey has a unique physical property: it is ?. This means:

• At rest: The honey is gel-like firm -- like pudding
• When stirred/shaken: It temporarily becomes liquid
• After stirring: It slowly returns to the gel state

This property makes normal extraction by spinning impossible. The gel-like honey is not flung from the cells by centrifugal force. Therefore, heather honey must be harvested in one of the following ways:

1. Method 1: Press honey (traditional)

   The honey-filled combs are crushed and pressed in a honey press (spindle press or basket press). Press honey contains slightly more wax and pollen components than spun honey. Labeling note: Must be labeled as "press honey" (EU honey regulations).

2. Method 2: Stippling + spinning

   The capped combs are perforated with a special device (heather honey stippler / pricking tool) -- hundreds of small holes break through the gel structure. The honey can then be extracted in the spinner, though only at high speed.

3. Method 3: Dissolving and spinning

   The combs are briefly warmed to approx. 35-40°C to temporarily dissolve the thixotropy. Then spin quickly. This method is controversial, as the warming can damage enzymes.

Heather Honey: Character and Value

• Color: Amber to reddish-brown, often cloudy from air inclusions
• Taste: Bold-aromatic, spicy, slightly bitter note, intense aftertaste
• Consistency: Gelled (thixotropic), spreadable in the jar
• Price: 15-25 EUR/500g (one of the most expensive monofloral honeys)
• Tradition: Heather honey from the Lueneburg Heath is a tradition-rich premium product

Migration to the heather is no guaranteed success. It needs warm days above 20°C, cool nights, and no drought. In good years we get 20 kg per colony, in bad years we drive home empty-handed. But the taste of genuine heather honey -- it is worth it.

Heather Migration: Practical Tips

Sunflower (Helianthus annuus)

Sunflower Profile

Sunflower Honey

• Color: Bright yellow to golden yellow
• Taste: Mild, fruity, slightly sour
• Crystallization: Fast and coarse-grained (high glucose content)
• Special feature: Typical late summer honey, rarely monofloral

Buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum) -- The Dark Exotic

Buckwheat is botanically not a cereal (but belongs to the knotweed family), yet is used similarly. For beekeeping, it is a valuable late summer forage.

Buckwheat Profile

Buckwheat Honey: The Insider Tip

Buckwheat honey is still relatively unknown in Germany but is a valued monofloral honey in Eastern Europe (Poland, Russia) and North America:

• Color: Dark brown to nearly black -- one of the darkest honeys of all
• Taste: Very bold, malty, slightly bitter, reminiscent of caramel and molasses
• Crystallization: Medium-fast
• Health: Scientific studies (e.g., University of Illinois, 2004) show that dark honeys like buckwheat honey have a particularly high antioxidant content

Himalayan Balsam (Impatiens glandulifera) -- The Controversial Late Forage

Himalayan balsam (also called Indian balsam or "policeman's helmet") is one of the most controversial forage plants in Europe.

Himalayan Balsam Profile

The Controversy: Invasive Neophyte vs. Valuable Bee Forage

Ivy (Hedera helix) -- The Last Pollen Source

Ivy is one of the most important autumn forage plants and is underestimated in its significance by many beekeepers. As the last major nectar and pollen source of the year, it has a key function for overwintering.

Ivy Profile

Significance of Ivy for Overwintering

The ivy flow has a special strategic significance:

• Last pollen: Ivy often provides the last high-quality pollen before winter. This pollen is important for completing winter bee rearing.
• Fat body: Ivy pollen contributes to the final charging of the winter bees' fat body (vitellogenin production).
• Brood impulse: The late flow can trigger a final brood impulse -- this can be positive (more winter bees) or negative (too-late brood, varroa problem).

Additional Late Summer Forage Plants

Autumn Aster (Aster sp.)

• Bloom period: September-October
• Nectar value: 2, Pollen value: 2
• Special feature: In gardens and parks, one of the last nectar sources; especially smooth aster (A. novi-belgii) and New England aster (A. novae-angliae)

Goldenrod (Solidago sp.)

• Bloom period: August-October
• Nectar value: 2-3, Pollen value: 2
• Special feature: Invasive neophyte (like Himalayan balsam) but valuable late forage on wasteland

Stonecrop (Sedum sp.)

• Bloom period: August-October
• Nectar value: 2-3, Pollen value: 1
• Special feature: Particularly in gardens and on green roofs, a reliable late nectar source

Bee Tree / Korean Evodia (Tetradium daniellii)

• Bloom period: July-August
• Nectar value: 4 (excellent!), Pollen value: 3
• Special feature: East Asian ornamental tree considered the "perfect bee pasture." Intense nectar production, long bloom duration, hardy to approx. -20°C. Increasingly planted by beekeepers and in public plantings.

Late Summer from the Beekeeper's Perspective

Summary

Knowledge Check

In the next lesson, you will learn how to create your own bee pasture -- with the right seed mixtures, planting plans, and practical tips for every budget.