Stachys annua (L.) L., a melliferous archaeophyte plant became a dominant weed of the cereal stubbles of the Carpathian Basin in the medieval three-field system. By the middle of the nineteenth century, this plant provided more than two-thirds of the Hungarian honey production, and its high quality monofloral honey turned into a characteristic brand of the Hungarian apiculture. Recognizing its importance, S. annua also briefly became a minor crop cultivated in “bee gardens” and arable fields in the late nineteenth century, possibly also in response to the first signs of its upcoming decline. Starting with the advent of the steam plough, the twentieth century has brought a drastic decline for S. annua due to a combination of deeper and earlier tillage operations, agrochemicals, and new competing weed species (in particular the common ragweed, Ambrosia artemisiifolia). The last remnant stands of this previously dominant weed species are of considerable ecological and historical value as farmland biodiversity hotspots. These sites are important refuge for rare weeds, wild pollinators (including bumblebees), and declining farmland birds, which could be targeted by eco-schemes under the European Union’s (EU’s) greening Common Agricultural Policy. The rediscovery of the cropping potential of S. annua and the development of an appropriate technology would also allow its cultivation as a valuable bee forage, catch crop, green cover, or oilseed plant in the future.

Stachys annua (L.) L. 是一种古老的植物，在中世纪的三田系统中成为喀尔巴阡盆地谷茬的优势杂草。到 19 世纪中叶，这种植物提供了匈牙利蜂蜜产量的三分之二以上，其高品质的单花蜂蜜成为匈牙利养蜂业的特色品牌。认识到其重要性后，青蒿在 19 世纪后期也曾短暂地成为一种在“蜜蜂园”和可耕地中种植的次要作物，这可能也是为了应对即将到来的衰退的最初迹象。从蒸汽犁的出现开始，20 世纪使青蒿的产量急剧下降由于更深和更早的耕作操作、农用化学品和新的竞争性杂草物种（特别是普通豚草，Ambrosia artemisiifolia）的结合。这种以前占优势的杂草物种的最后残余林分作为农田生物多样性热点具有相当大的生态和历史价值。这些地点是稀有杂草、野生传粉媒介（包括大黄蜂）和数量减少的农田鸟类的重要避难所，欧盟 (EU) 绿化共同农业政策下的生态计划可能会将这些鸟类作为目标。对青蒿种植潜力的重新发现和适当技术的开发也将使其能够在未来作为有价值的蜂饲料、捕捞作物、绿色覆盖物或油籽植物进行栽培。