Wikimedia Commons
Boraginaceae
Honeywort
Cerinthe major
sweet secrets.
- Family
- Boraginaceae
- Genus
- Cerinthe
- Native to
- Mediterranean
- Bloom season
- Spring, Summer
- Type
- annual
- Height
- 1-2 ft
- Sunlight
- full sun to part shade
- Soil
- well-drained, moderately fertile
- Water
- moderate
- Hardiness
- 7-10
- Lifespan
- annual
Did you know
- Honeywort takes its common name from abundant nectar in its tubular flowers — ancient beekeepers planted it specifically to produce strongly flavored honey.
- The upper leaves are blue-green, fleshy, and clasping — almost succulent-like — and they become increasingly blue as the plant matures.
- In the variety 'Purpurascens,' the bracts turn a rich purple-blue as the plant flowers, making the foliage as ornamental as the blooms.
- The name Cerinthe derives from Greek keros (wax) because of the waxy coating on its leaves, and anthemon (flower).
- Bumblebees are the primary pollinators — they hover, insert their tongues into the pendant tube, and drink while the flower deposits pollen on their thorax.
Color meanings
0
hidden sweetness
1
generosity
2
allure