Ogeche tupelo tree
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Ogeche tupelo tree ( Nyssa ogeche ) |
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| Nyssa ogeche | ||||||||||||
| W.Bartram ex Marshall |
The Nyssa Ogeche ( Nyssa ogeche ) is a plant of the genus Tupelobäume ( Nyssa ). Its bloom allows the extraction of tupelo honey . This species is often referred to as the tupelo tree for short, but there are other species in the genus. The Ogeche Tupelo tree was discovered by William Bartram along the " Ogeechee River " in Georgia .
description
The shade-tolerant Nyssa ogeche grows as a deciduous shrub or tree . When the old trunk dies, a new shoot takes place from the "root stock" and leads to a thicket-like stand. Trunk diameters of 30 to 61 cm are achieved. The dark brown bark is 3.2 mm thick. The alternate leaves are simple. The leaf margin is smooth to notched. The leaves, which are lush green in summer, take on a spectacular autumn color from yellow to orange to red and purple.
The flowering period extends from late March to early May after the new leaves are fully developed. Nyssa ogeche is polygam- dioecious (triözisch): First, there are "female" trees with hermaphrodite and female flowers, on the other hand, there are "male" trees only male flowers. The tiny flowers have greenish-yellow petals. The male flowers are clustered together over a 1.3 mm long peduncle. They have a thick disc and produce a lot of nectar , so many bees are attracted. The female flowers stand individually on short, 1.6 mm long woody stems. They have a woolly, cup-shaped calyx and a squat stylus that is bent back from the base and is still present on the fruit.
The first golden yellow with a slight greenish tint in autumn red drupe 3 to 4 cm long is. It has a sour pulp and is edible. Each stone fruit usually contains one, rarely two seeds . The pale seed is 3 cm long. The fruit ripens in July and August, but remains on the tree until November and December, when the leaves have already fallen.
Occurrence
Nyssa ogeche grows in the swamps and river valleys of South Carolina , Florida and a small area in Georgia . One of the main areas of distribution in the United States is the Forgotten Coast in the Florida Panhandle , along the Apalachicola , Chipola , Choctawhatchee , and Ochlocknee rivers .
Tupelo honey
In spring, the tree wears a veil of white flowers and fills the swamp there with a heavy, sweet-aromatic scent.
Since the beginning of the 20th century, around 100 family beekeepers have been producing a single-variety honey , known as "tupelo honey ", with the help of the western honey bee . The bee colonies are set up on specially built walkways above the surface of the water. The bee colonies are secured against the stray black bears in the area by means of electric protective fences .
The honey combines sweetness with a heavy, spicy aroma. Its color is light gold with a greenish tinge. Pure honey has twice as much fructose (46%) as grape sugar (23%). That's why he's not candying. In terms of consistency, it is similar to locust honey . In addition to local sales in the cities of Wewahitchka , Loxahatchee , Chattahoochee and as far as Tallahassee , honey is sold as a specialty throughout the US and is particularly sought after by mead manufacturers .
art
book
- Holley Bishop : Robbing Bees . 2005. The novel by the New York author portrays the beekeeper Donald Smiley from Wewahitchka.
music
The honey is celebrated with the song Tupelo Honey by Van Morrison , which is also the namesake for the album on which the song appeared.
Movie
The family drama Ulee's Gold with Peter Fonda was filmed in the traditional beekeeping Lanier in Wewahitchka. Van Morrison's song Tupelo Honey can be heard in the credits .
source
- ER Root: The gold from the "Forgotten Coast". About bees, trees and boats. in ADIZ Allgemeine Deutsche Apkerzeitung , September 2008, pp. 24–26
- Susan Kossuth & Robert L. Scheer: Ogeechee Tupelo, Nyssa ogeche Bartr. ex Marsh. : Online.
- Edward F. Gilman & Dennis G. Watson: Ogeechee Tupelo Datasheet , Nyssa ogeche .
literature
- Ludwig Armbruster: Pfahlbau-Beekeeping in issue 2/3 of the Archive for Apiculture 1934
- M. Robischon: Fragrant gold . In: Der Feinschmecker . Issue 1, January 1, 2007, pp. 76-77 - about Tupelo honey
