Downy oak
An oak of dry limestone slopes; it has no nectar but insect honeydew on it yields dark oak honeydew honey, and bees collect its wind-borne pollen in spring.
- Nectar
- None
- Pollen
- Medium
- Flowering
- JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
- Crystallisation
- Slow
- Height
- 10-20 m
- Life cycle
- Perennial
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Downy oak grows on dry, calcareous slopes from southern and central Europe to Thrace, northern and western Anatolia and the Caucasus; its young shoots and the undersides of its leaves are hairy. Its flowers are wind-pollinated and give no nectar. Its value for beekeeping comes mainly from the honeydew left by aphids, scale insects and similar insects on its leaves and twigs.
Flowering
It flowers in April and May, together with the leaves; bees collect pollen from the hanging male catkins. The honeydew flow, on the other hand, usually occurs between June and August, in years when insect populations are high.
Honey and pollen
Oak honeydew honey is dark brown, slightly bitter, with a malty sweetness and a high mineral content; because its glucose content is low, it crystallises slowly. The honeydew flow does not occur every year; hot days and humid nights favour it.
Note for the beekeeper
Honeydew honey, high in minerals and dextrins, can cause dysentery if left as winter stores; blossom honey or syrup should be preferred for wintering.