Turkish pine (Pinus brutia)
Turkish or Calabrian pine (Pinus brutia) is an eastern Mediterranean conifer whose honeydew, made by the scale insect Marchalina hellenica, gives pine honey.
Turkish or Calabrian pine (Pinus brutia) is a fast-growing, medium-sized evergreen conifer close to the Aleppo pine. It is native to the eastern Mediterranean and the Aegean regions of Türkiye, with small isolated stands on the Black Sea coasts of Türkiye and Georgia, and it grows from sea level to 2000 m. It copes with drought, and its fire-resistant cones let it recolonise burned land.
For bees the tree matters through the pine cotton scale Marchalina hellenica, which sucks its sap and excretes honeydew. In Muğla province about 12 % of the red pine forest, some 66,560 ha, carries the insect, and the humid coastal air keeps it secreting. Beekeepers move colonies into the forests from August to November, and the honey is gathered from September to November.
The result is pine honey: Muğla Çam Balı is dark greenish brown, smells of resin and fresh pine and crystallises slowly. Greece is the other main country for pine honeydew honey.
Why this matters to you: pine honey exists only where this insect and this tree meet, as in the coastal forests of south-western Türkiye.
Facts
| Botanical origin | Pinus brutia Ten., pine family (Pinaceae); honeydew of Marchalina hellenica |
|---|---|
| Season | Honeydew flow September–November (Muğla) |
| Region | Eastern Mediterranean and Aegean Türkiye; isolated stands on Black Sea coasts of Türkiye and Georgia |
How it connects to Honey & beekeeping
Turkish pine (Pinus brutia) → kind of → Honey plants → kind of → 🍯 Honey
Links
- Part of
- Honey plants
- Which honey it gives
- Pine honey (pine honeydew honey), Muğla Çam Balı, Forest honey
Frequently asked questions
Do bees collect nectar from Turkish pine?
Pine honey comes from honeydew excreted by the scale insect Marchalina hellenica, which feeds on the tree's sap.
When is pine honey gathered in Muğla?
From September to November; colonies are moved into the pine forests from August to November.
Is it true that pine honey is made from pine resin?
No. Bees collect insect honeydew; the resin and pine notes are only part of its aroma.
Where does Pinus brutia grow?
In the eastern Mediterranean and Aegean Türkiye, with isolated stands on the Black Sea coasts of Türkiye and Georgia, from sea level to 2000 m.
What is Muğla pine honey like?
Dark greenish brown, woody and resinous, medium sweet, slow to crystallise and thick because of its low water content.
What to read next
- Pine honey (pine honeydew honey) — Pine honey is a dark honeydew honey made from honeydew on pine trees, best known as Turkish çam balı from Pinus brutia, with a resinous aroma.
- Forest honey — Forest honey (Waldhonig) is honey made mainly from honeydew collected in woodland, often mixed with nectar; darker and spicier than blossom honey.
Similar
Silver fir · Black locust · Rapeseed · Sweet chestnut · Heather (ling) · Lavender
Sources
- Single document 'Muğla Çam Balı' (PDO application), Official Journal of the EU C/2026/700
- EUFORGEN (European Forest Genetic Resources Programme): Pinus brutia
- Persano Oddo L. et al. (2004) Botanical species giving unifloral honey in Europe. Apidologie 35, S82-S93