Tulip tree
One of eastern North America's main honey trees; its tulip-shaped flowers yield very heavy nectar. The honey is dark reddish amber, bold and slow to granulate.
- Nectar
- Very good
- Pollen
- Medium
- Flowering
- JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
- Crystallisation
- Slow
- Height
- 25-40 m
- Life cycle
- Perennial
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The tulip tree is one of the tallest broad-leaved forest trees of eastern North America and provides the main late spring flow for beekeepers there. Each greenish-yellow, tulip-shaped flower with an orange blotch secretes a large amount of nectar; secretion peaks in mild, humid weather. It also gives pollen, but its value lies in the nectar.
Flowering
It flowers for about 2-4 weeks between May and June. Since the flowers sit high up among the leaves, they are hardly noticed from the ground; young trees flower sparsely, and the tree needs years of growth before it flowers profusely.
Honey and pollen
The honey is dark amber with a reddish tint, distinct and slightly molasses-like in taste, and crystallises slowly.
Note for the beekeeper
In Europe and Turkey it occurs only as a park tree, so its impact on beekeeping here is limited. It does well on moist, deep, nutrient-rich soils and is not suited to dry, calcareous sites.