Here is a photo I took of some Tasmanian hives collecting Leatherwood honey - arguably the world’s best honey - from the forests of the West Coast of Tasmania. I thought Flow Forum members might be interested in the configuration of all ideal boxes with no deep boxes for brood.
Ha.
Quite a bit of argument on that I would think.
Hi Wilfred, yes I’m sure there is! Like the honey or not, the tree itself is very attractive, particularly in flower. I have pink flowering ones in my garden that were originally found in the wild, but are unusual there.
Beautiful.
I have one leatherwood tree in my garden. It is two feet high
Hi Dee - excellent! …yes, I’m sure they wouldn’t mind the the Welsh climate. They are reasonably fast growing. When you smell the flowers, they have the scent of the honey. Outside domestic gardens here, they are basically confined to the western half of the State - some parts of which average three metres of rain a year.
Leatherwood honey has always been a favorite of mine. Delicious- very distinctive.
Arguably there is no ‘best honey’ per se. It’s a matter of individual taste. I know quite a few people actually dislike leatherwood honey… just like some fools can’t abide by coriander …
I’d like to try some of that famed Tuppelo honey. Any US beeks care to send me a tiny sample?? I’ll send you leatherwood…
I’d be surprised if it made it through quarantine…
Hey Dee !
Why so gigantic ?! Will they grow successfully in our Northern climates ?! Not sure I’ve ever heard of leather wood … But that’s no surprise . Can’t know it all … Guess I’ll have to run an Internet search to see what I’ve been missing. !
Have a great weekend,
Gerald
Just looked it up. Way too much tree for my back 40 feet by 65 foot of yard, garden n apiary. ! ️
Seeds yes, foliage no.
Hi Gerald, supposed to only get to 5m in a home garden…not sure if you could get hold of plants or seeds in US but it would love your damp cool Pacific Northwest climate! Doesn’t mind frost or snow within reason and can handle considerable sun, but does need the cool moist site. The first photo shows an unopened pink flower from one of my little trees. The 2nd photo is a flower from a small tree in my garden - tree only about 7 feet high. The third photo is from the forest at Geeveston in Southern Tasmania and the last photo is of a flowering tree my wife photographed in a garden in North West Tasmania.
wow- I had no idea leatherwood trees looked like that. Very pretty. Is it a eucalypt?
I don’t think it is related. The leaves and branches are tough and leathery and hard to break off. The tips of the stems have an unusual orange waxy coating on them when you look closely. The fresh growth stems proper are a striking red colour. When you see a big tree in the forest all covered in flowers in summer it is a stunning sight.