What is Sourwood Honey?
Sourwood Honey is one of the most popular honey varieties produced in my region. My beehives produce limited quantities in good years-but it is never a sure thing. In fact, this is a special product that everyone wants and is usually in short supply. In this article, you will learn – What is Sourwood Honey? Does it taste sour? Where does it come from? What is so special about it?
Long before I became a beekeeper, I enjoyed the native Sourwood trees growing on our hillsides. They are quite beautiful in Fall. I had no idea that these trees would someday help me produce one of the most popular types of honey.
Sourwood Honey-A Regional Favorite
In some circles, Sourwood is considered a contender for the best honey in the world. This is certainly true in my neck of the woods.
Sourwood honey is wildly popular in the Appalachian region. It is such a local favorite that it is the only kind some locals will eat. In fact, we like it so well that we do not have a lot to sell.
Regional honeys are those that are produce primarily in one area or region of the country. Perhaps, the plants that provide the nectar only grow well or produce nectar in that locality.
Where do the Trees Grow?
The Sourwood tree (oxydendron arboretum) is native to the Appalachian Mountains of the United States. This range includes North Georgia, the mountains of North Carolina (Black Mountain Region too) and the upper elevations of South Carolina.
It can be found growing along the mountain sides as an understory tree. Nestled below the towering oaks, maples and tulip poplars it is barely noticeable when not in bloom.
However, when the white bell shaped flowers open, the tree is easy to recognize. The mountainsides shine with the white flowers in the tree tops.
The bark of the sourwood tree is scaley and the trunk is small and spindly. On average, they reach heights of up to 30 feet. But, they can reach greater heights where growing conditions are best.
The higher elevations of Appalachia boasts more nectar producing sourwood blooms than the foothills. In the fall, the leaves come alive with color in shades of red.
It is not unusual to see yellow, red and purple leaves on a single tree. An excellent ornamental, Sourwood trees love acid soil.
I am lucky to have some Sourwood trees on my small farm. They make a beautiful display in June at a time when not much else is blooming.
You will often see them growing on ridges above streams. I chose to save my trees years before I became a beekeeper. I’m so glad I did. In July, it is common to hear a nice buzz if you stand below the tree.
How Sourwood Honey is Produced
Bees collect plant nectar in order to make honey. In fact, most raw honey is a mixture of the nectar from hundreds or thousands of blooming plants. Many different bees visit many different plants and everything is mixed together back at the hive.
In certain situations, it is possible to produce a mono-floral (one source) honey. Mono-floral means it is predominately made from one type of nectar.
Hive Manipulations
How do beekeepers get a mono-floral product such as Sourwood Honey? The answer is in how the collection boxes are managed by the beekeeper.
The Langstroth hive, most commonly used for honey production, consists of stacked boxes. The bees normally use the lower boxes for food storage and raising young.
On top, beekeepers add honey supers or boxes to collect the excess honey – not needed by the bees for Winter. But the key to harvesting sourwood honey is timing.
Timing is Key
When the Sourwood trees around my bee yard start to bloom, (beginning of the honey flow) I will remove any partially filled honey supers and put empty boxes in their place.
During the several weeks of the bloom, honey produced in those boxes will be Sourwood. Very little other nectar sources are available-so the foraging honey bees visit sourwood blooms.
Therefore, the beehive boxes filled during this period will have Sourwood honey inside. This assumes that the weather was good and the flowers full of nectar.
Production Varies Year to Year
While this tree grows and blooms in areas outside the mountains, the trees do not produce enough nectar for reliable honey production in most locations.
Nectar production of Sourwood trees is linked to elevation. The higher mountain regions produce more nectar than the foothills.
In June and July, the southern and central Appalachians come alive with white Sourwood blossoms. In South Carolina, you may find these trees blooming in the mid-state area of Columbia.
But, little Sourwood honey is produced south of Pickens, SC. (located in the northern part of the state). Sourwood trees produce best at an altitude above 1000 ft. At 1,100 ft above sea level, I just made it.
South Carolina Sourwood Harvest
South Carolina beekeepers in the northern most corner of the state can reap a Sourwood Honey crop. But, we do not have the elevation to produce as much nectar as the higher mountains of NC.
Nectar does not reach the bottom of the urn shaped flowers until afternoon. Bees are not lazy so they will harvest sumac nectar in the morning.
This gives South Carolina Sourwood a reddish tint most years because a bit of other sources are mixed in. However, our local Sourwood Honey does maintain the delicious flavor that we expect.
Where to Buy It – Buyer Beware
Sourwood has a short blooming season compared to some nectar sources. Each year, I hear stories of customers paying premium honey prices for clear colored honey that is NOT Sourwood.
When purchasing honey, you are at the mercy of the producer. Ask questions, educate yourself and do not be lured by prices that seem absurdly low for a premium honey.
It is not unusual to see a quart of being sold for $30 and up! We consume most of the crop locally. (Can you blame us?)
I recall a statement I read in a well-known beekeeping magazine years ago. “More Sourwood Honey is consumed than is produced each year”. Think about that for a moment.
You may find a beekeeper local to the region with some to sell. The smaller the beekeeper the better chance of getting the best tasting Sourwood Honey.
Some of them only harvest Sourwood -they don’t bother to collect the regular wildflower honey. Sourwood Honey is so prized by locals that a Sourwood Festival is held each year in Black Mountain, NC.
Health Benefits of Sourwood Honey
The health benefits of Sourwood Honey are the same as the health benefits of any raw honey. Aside from its spectacular taste (isn’t that enough? LOL ). It’s just good!
Honey is an excellent instant energy source for athletes. Containing minerals and anti-oxidants, and it is a good substitute for other forms of sweeteners.
A tablespoon of honey in your morning cup of coffee adds a natural sugar source with no artificial ingredients.
If you are sick with a bad cold, hot tea sweetened with honey is a delight. The rich, buttery taste blends well with most herbal teas. It is a light flavor that does not over power the tea flavor. ( Some types of honey mask the tea flavor. )
The anti-bacterial properties of any raw honey soothes sore throats and helps with coughing. You can even use honey for cold relief.
Raw honey can be used to treat burns and wounds. And, it helps promote healing and prevent infection.
(Good information for a hiker. A small bottle of honey can be an energy source and wound treatment as well ! Perhaps make some honey sticks with it? )
But, the health benefits are not what makes Sourwood Honey great. It’s all about taste. No other honey tastes quite the same.
FAQs
Sourwood honey is not a reliable crop. Some beekeepers only experience a bountiful harvest once a decade.
No, not at all. This popular honey has a rich, buttery taste with a pleasing after-taste. Some say, it brings to mind a flavor of anise and spice
The difference is the nectar source used to make it (sourwood tree nectar) and the delicate light flavor compared to most regular honey.
Not always. It is normally a light amber color – lighter in color than other honey from the region. Though in the foothills, the nectar is often mixed with a bit of sumac nectar so it is not as clear in color.
A Final Word
Conservation efforts to maintain native plant species are important to preserve this type of raw food product. Without the trees, we would have no Sourwood honey.
If you have never tried to real thing, I suggest that you try to find some this year. The closest flavor I have experienced is Fireweed Honey from Alaska.