Leatherwood
A tree endemic to Tasmanian rainforest; it supplies most of the island's honey, which is light amber with a spicy, floral flavour.
- Nectar
- Very good
- Pollen
- Medium
- Flowering
- JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecSouthern hemisphere months
- Crystallisation
- Medium
- Height
- 10-30 m
- Life cycle
- Perennial
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Eucryphia lucida is an evergreen tree that grows only in the wet temperate rainforests of western Tasmania. In English it is known as leatherwood, and it provides the largest share of Tasmania's honey production. Its white, four-petalled, fragrant flowers secrete plenty of nectar; beekeepers move their hives to the edges of forest roads in midsummer.
Flowering
It flowers from late December to March; the peak is usually January-February. Trees only flower heavily once they have reached maturity at several decades old.
Honey and pollen
The honey is light amber with a strong, spicy and floral aroma. When it crystallises it takes on a fine-grained, creamy texture.
Note for the beekeeper
Because the source depends on old rainforest, forest fires and logging directly affect honey production; in Tasmania beekeepers' access to the forests is an issue of conservation policy. The species does not occur naturally outside Tasmania; for Europe and Turkey this is an entry for information.