Sourwood honey.

van from Arkansas · June 18, 2019, 10:37:39 PM

Any info on the sourwood bloom, which is about now. Are conditions good, is this going to be a good year for sourwood? I thank you for your post regarding this sourwood premium honey.
Van

The15thMember · June 19, 2019, 12:20:27 AM

I?m sitting over here on the edge of my seat, Van!! It?s my first real honey harvest this year and all my sourwood trees are starting to put out their flower structures. No proper buds yet, but very soon. I?ve got a brand new shallow super on my strongest hive ready to go. The sourwood harvest was very weak last year; the trees didn?t flower well and the harvest was pretty rained out. I so hope it?ll be a good year this year. I?m so excited!!

Ben Framed · June 19, 2019, 07:18:58 AM

Quote from: The15thMember on June 19, 2019, 12:20:27 AM
I?m sitting over here on the edge of my seat, Van!! It?s my first real honey harvest this year and all my sourwood trees are starting to put out their flower structures. No proper buds yet, but very soon. I?ve got a brand new shallow super on my strongest hive ready to go. The sourwood harvest was very weak last year; the trees didn?t flower well and the harvest was pretty rained out. I so hope it?ll be a good year this year. I?m so excited!!

I have not tasted sour wood honey but it must be good as I have heard talk about it. Is the sour wood tree, a tree that only grows in mountainous areas? I have never heard of sour wood trees in my area.
Phillip

Nock · June 19, 2019, 08:51:21 AM

https://www.plantmaps.com/nrm-oxydendrum-arboreum-sourwood-native-range-map

The15thMember · June 19, 2019, 09:00:00 AM

Quote from: Nock on June 19, 2019, 08:51:21 AM
https://www.plantmaps.com/nrm-oxydendrum-arboreum-sourwood-native-range-map

Quote from: Ben Framed on June 19, 2019, 07:18:58 AM
I have not tasted sour wood honey but it must be good as I have heard talk about it. Is the sour wood tree, a tree that only grows in mountainous areas? I have never heard of sour wood trees in my area.
Phillip

As you can see by Nock?s handy map, the tree has quite a large range, but it is most prolific here in the southern Appalachians. There are about 6 trees on my property that I know about, and there may be more back in the woods. They are everywhere around here.

Nock · June 19, 2019, 11:09:25 AM

I?m just out of the range according to that map. It?s pretty accurate. I?ve never seen one in the wild. Just one or two small ones in yards.

Ben Framed · June 19, 2019, 05:07:33 PM

Quote from: The15thMember on June 19, 2019, 09:00:00 AM
Quote from: Nock on June 19, 2019, 08:51:21 AM
https://www.plantmaps.com/nrm-oxydendrum-arboreum-sourwood-native-range-map
Quote from: Ben Framed on June 19, 2019, 07:18:58 AM
I have not tasted sour wood honey but it must be good as I have heard talk about it. Is the sour wood tree, a tree that only grows in mountainous areas? I have never heard of sour wood trees in my area.
Phillip
As you can see by Nock?s handy map, the tree has quite a large range, but it is most prolific here in the southern Appalachians. There are about 6 trees on my property that I know about, and there may be more back in the woods. They are everywhere around here.

Quote from: Nock on June 19, 2019, 11:09:25 AM
I?m just out of the range according to that map. It?s pretty accurate. I?ve never seen one in the wild. Just one or two small ones in yards.

Good for you Member. YOU GO GIRL!! I hope get a lot that sourwood honey. Let us know how much you wind up with.

According to your map Nock, I am about an hour out of range also. I don't know if I have seen one in person either and recognized it for what it is.
Phillip

The15thMember · June 19, 2019, 06:09:24 PM

Quote from: Ben Framed on June 19, 2019, 05:07:33 PM
Good for you Member. YOU GO GIRL!! I hope get a lot that sourwood honey. Let us know how much you wind up with.

According to your map Nock, I am about an hour out of range also. I don't know if I have seen one in person either and recognized it for what it is.
Phillip

I will certainly keep you guys posted.

I just went outside and I saw something up in the sourwood tree near the house. . .

[attachment=0][/attachment]
The first sourwood buds!!

CoolBees · June 19, 2019, 08:56:14 PM

Quote from: Ben Framed on June 19, 2019, 05:07:33 PM
Quote from: The15thMember on June 19, 2019, 09:00:00 AM
Quote from: Nock on June 19, 2019, 08:51:21 AM
https://www.plantmaps.com/nrm-oxydendrum-arboreum-sourwood-native-range-map
Quote from: Ben Framed on June 19, 2019, 07:18:58 AM
I have not tasted sour wood honey but it must be good as I have heard talk about it. Is the sour wood tree, a tree that only grows in mountainous areas? I have never heard of sour wood trees in my area.
Phillip
As you can see by Nock?s handy map, the tree has quite a large range, but it is most prolific here in the southern Appalachians. There are about 6 trees on my property that I know about, and there may be more back in the woods. They are everywhere around here.
Quote from: Nock on June 19, 2019, 11:09:25 AM
I?m just out of the range according to that map. It?s pretty accurate. I?ve never seen one in the wild. Just one or two small ones in yards.

Good for you Member. YOU GO GIRL!! I hope get a lot that sourwood honey. Let us know how much you wind up with.

According to your map Nock, I am about an hour out of range also. I don't know if I have seen one in person either and recognized it for what it is.
Phillip

I'm on the Left Coast. I bought sourwood and planted them. They seem happy. Mine about to blossom also. I'm sure others could plant them too. Just a thought.

Nock · June 19, 2019, 10:01:52 PM

I?ve looked into buying some.

The15thMember · July 06, 2019, 07:03:11 PM

The sourwood flow is now starting here. The girls started drawing out their super dumb, and I had to cut a sizeable chunk of honeycomb out, and when I tasted it, it tasted like sourwood!

My bees are not on my trees yet, because all my trees are in the shade, and the sourwood trees that are in the sun flower first. My trees are all budded out and starting to bloom, and the trees that are in the sun are absolutely bursting with flowers.

Nock · July 07, 2019, 09:58:34 PM

Ive seen four trees here. All been bloomed about 2 weeks now.

Nock · July 22, 2019, 04:40:58 PM

[attachment=0][/attachment]
Here I have been looking for sourwood trees and I find one yesterday on me. So if there?s one got to be more.

van from Arkansas · July 22, 2019, 05:50:05 PM

Nock, the top of that tree looks to be a lot of blooms. My envy!!

I can?t stand it any more, I am starting to look for sourwood honey that I can purchase.
Van

saltybluegrass · July 22, 2019, 06:32:17 PM

I?d wager the difficulty to find it adds to the reputation and need that you?ve gotta have it!!!

Nock · July 22, 2019, 08:41:05 PM

Quote from: van from Arkansas on July 22, 2019, 05:50:05 PM
Nock, the top of that tree looks to be a lot of blooms. My envy!!

I can?t stand it any more, I am starting to look for sourwood honey that I can purchase.
Van

It?s not but about 150yards from my hives. Once it cools down I?ll get out and find some more. I had no reason to know what it is till I got bees.

The15thMember · July 22, 2019, 09:23:06 PM

I'm pulling a super tomorrow that should be sourwood, so I'll let you guys know what I get. I already got one medium frame of what I'm pretty sure is sourwood from another hive. I got almost 2 pints out of it. I think the blooms are starting to slow up here. We had a really heavy rain a few days ago that knocked a lot of the open blossoms off, but there are still some that haven't opened yet that are okay. My bees aren't on my trees, so it's hard for me to get a gage on how things are going with the flow. Other trees in sunnier locations are blooming better than mine, so the bees seemingly are targeting those trees instead. The bumble bees are enjoying my trees though, so I know the flow is on.

Nock · July 22, 2019, 10:54:48 PM

I was wondering how you did.

Ben Framed · July 23, 2019, 12:37:11 AM

How long does the Sourwood tree bloom?

The15thMember · July 26, 2019, 03:06:19 PM

I got almost 6 qts. of sourwood from the shallow I pulled. Many of the frames were not fully drawn, but all but one of them were fully capped. It is absolutely gorgeous, delicious honey.

Here's a picture of a jar. The camera makes the color a little more golden than it is in real life. It's light honey, not overly viscous, and it has sort of a lavender-colored undertone. It has none of that heavy clover honey taste.
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