Alhagi sparsifolia

No ethnobotanical data added yet. Help us by writing one.

Common products:
Alhagi sparsifolia supplies two principal non‑medicinal products. Its foliage is harvested as a dry or fresh forage for grazing animals, especially camels, goats and sheep, and is often cut and stored as hay for winter feed. The shrub also provides nectar that honey bees convert into honey, which is collected and marketed as a sweetener and food ingredient, often sold as a monofloral product.

Food and beverages (non-medicinal):
The honey derived from the plant’s flowers is used as a natural sweetener and flavoring agent in culinary applications such as confectionery, baked goods, breakfast foods and beverages like mead. No medicinal claims are made for this use.

Properties relevant to use:
Alhagi sparsifolia is a deep‑rooted, drought‑tolerant shrub that thrives on marginal, low‑fertility soils, allowing it to be cultivated without irrigation. Its taproot reaches deep soil moisture, enhancing its survival under water stress. The foliage contains moderate protein and high fiber, providing acceptable feed value for ruminants. The flowers produce nectar suitable for honey production by Apis mellifera.

Standards and regulation:
Honey produced from Alhagi sparsifolia must meet the Codex Alimentarius Standard for Honey (Codex Stan 12‑1981), which sets limits for moisture, electrical conductivity, diastase activity and HMF. In the EU honey is regulated by Council Directive 2001/110/EC, which sets composition, labeling and quality requirements. Forage derived from the plant is subject to feed safety regulations, such as EU Regulation (EC) No 834/2007, which limits contaminants like heavy metals and mycotoxins, and U.S. FDA regulations under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act for animal feed safety. AAFCO provides guidelines for nutritional labeling and safety of feed ingredients.

Sustainability and sourcing:
Because the species is native to desert steppe habitats and requires little water, it fits into low‑input livestock and beekeeping systems. Its nitrogen‑fixing ability enhances soil fertility, and its deep roots improve soil structure, contributing to carbon sequestration and erosion control. When cultivated for forage it also serves a dual role in rangeland rehabilitation, offering a sustainable source of animal feed and honey in arid regions.

No subspecies added yet.

No variety added yet.

No subvariety added yet.

No forms added yet.

No germination or propagation data was added yet.

No distribution data was extracted from POWO/KEW yet. We are constantly monitoring for new data.

No reference genome is available on NCBI yet. We are constantly monitoring for new data.

No known contributors. Be the first!

In private collections	0
In public collections	0

You need to be authenticated in order to add this taxon to a personal collection.