Plantations for bio active Leptospermum (manuka)

Honey flow is a great website. My interest is in the development of sustainable ‘manuka’ and other Leptospermum species plantations in Australia. I have a website which covers all aspects of plantation projects from small scale projects to large industrial scale developments. leptospermum.com.au

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Hiya Ted, welcome to the forum, hopefully your’re not just here for a plug…
We have leptospermum here pinks, reds and purple in full bloom and the bees aren’t interested, they love the yellows and whites.
Are there white or yellow varieties of leptospermum?
Another question, it’s my understanding, and I may be wrong, I frequently am, Geraldton wax isn’t leptospermum however it’s so similar, is this correct?

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I’m not quite sure what this post means? Are you just letting us know about your website, or are you looking for more information etc in regards to Flow?
We have a FAQ here in regards to Flow Frames and Manuka - https://www.honeyflow.com/faqs/do-flow-frames-work-with-manuka-jellybush-honey/p/103#a1

If you use Flow Frames with any of your plantation projects, we would certainly be interested in hearing about your experience here at Flow :slight_smile:

@skeggley there are white Leptospermum varieties & the bees do love them, it you’re interested in them I can give you a list of Australia wide varieties & WA specific. Off the top of my head Lep. continentale, Lep.myrsinoides & Lep. scoparium, Lep. lanigerum, Lep. grandiflorum.

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Hi Skeggly. My post is after all in the ‘business’ category but having said that I am promoting an information website dealing with a topic of great interest to the beekeeping community not only in Australia but world-wide. The site has only been live for a few months and is visited by bee people from over 35 countries.

Coloured Leptospermums are almost always garden cultivars specifically bred or selected from chance seedlings and selected for flower colour. Wild populations of the 83 Australian Leptospermum species are virtually always white.

Geraldton wax (Chamelaucium spp) is a relative of Leptospermum as both are family Myrtaceae. So Geraldton Wax is not Leptospermum and to the best of my knowledge is not bio active

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Hi Faroe, Yes I am letting the Flow community know that there is information out there regarding Leptospermum cultivation. Until recently there has been a real information vacuum and its clearly a topic of interest to the broader beekeeping community.

As I am not a beekeeper I have no direct experience with jelly bush honey and its behaviour with Flow but even if there are some issues there it needs to be remembered that of the 83 Leptospermum species as many as half of them are coming up as bio active and these species will take on more prominence with time. Other Leptospermum honeys behave normally.

I would certainly like to see Flow introduced to plantation projects.

Hi Kirstin

Here is a full list

https://leptospermum.com.au/history/

Thanks Ted, I already have the information was just literally what I could think of in few minutes break I had.

MHiya Ted, yes true it is in businesses, I don’t usually look at the category. So it is just a plug then. :wink:
Thanks for the information and your web site looks quite interesting, more reading for me, bookmarked.
Most of my leptospermum has been purchased at the local native nursery and yes they are colourful ones but I’ve not seen white ones so over here in the West I’ll have to keep looking. Any idea which WA varieties are bio active?

It seems no one told your profile that…

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It sounds interesting. I thought all honey was active/beneficial, but I guess you’re measuring it somehow.
If you arrange for any Flow Frames/Hives to be put on plantations we would be interested over here at Flow to see how the different species go with the Flow Frames.

The more info the better.

Thank you @Ted for sharing all that wonderful information on Leptospermum, your website is fantastic. We have a farm in South West WA that has very heavy waterlogged paddocks in some parts, I would love to plant rows of something that would be good for the bees and provide shelter for the sheep and cattle. We have paperbark growing in some area and Marri but of course there was a lot cleared way back in the old days by the first farmers in the area. Now we are planting like crazy to improve the soil and environment. I have planted some broad leaf paperbark, swamp mahogany, red flowering gum and Wandoo. Over 300 little trees so far :smiley: I’m loving it

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Hi Raelene. Thank you for your kind words and best wishes with your project. kind regards Ted