Ogeechee tupelo
A tree of Florida and Georgia river swamps and the source of famous white tupelo honey, which is so fructose-rich it hardly ever granulates.
- Nectar
- Very good
- Pollen
- Medium
- Flowering
- JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
- Crystallisation
- Slow
- Height
- 10-20 m
- Life cycle
- Perennial
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Ogeechee tupelo is a tree of riverside swamps in the south-eastern USA, especially in north-western Florida and Georgia. It is the source of the famous white tupelo honey produced along the Apalachicola and Chipola rivers. Its small greenish flowers secrete plenty of nectar; beekeepers place their hives on platforms or rafts along the riverbanks.
Flowering
It flowers for about 2-3 weeks in April and May. To get pure honey in this short period, supers are emptied before flowering and harvested as soon as flowering ends.
Honey and pollen
The honey is light golden amber with a greenish cast and a mild sweetness. Because it is high in fructose and low in glucose, pure tupelo honey hardly ever crystallises.
Note for the beekeeper
Production depends on a narrow geographic area and on river floods; a year with floods or a hurricane can wipe out the harvest. It is not grown in Europe or Turkey; this is an entry for information.