# Sumac Honey?



## OneEyedRooster (Nov 10, 2012)

I think it's got a great taste. I've never had it pure but it's heavily mixed in with our summer honey and gives a good flavor.


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## Acebird (Mar 17, 2011)

I think it came from Japan and is an ornamental tree there.


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## larrybeach (May 25, 2013)

I like it. It blooms at a good time here, usually a little after the white clover is done.


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## Slow Drone (Apr 19, 2014)

Makes excellent honey! It has a reddish color to it and I can sell it quicker than any other honey I have. Sells out quickly! Not always a good surplus of it.


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## biggraham610 (Jun 26, 2013)

thanks for your replies, maybe I should pull the clover so i can see. It should be around a while, seems like usually it comes later. Thanks again. G:thumbsup:


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## tsmullins (Feb 17, 2011)

Acebird said:


> I think it came from Japan and is an ornamental tree there.


We have three, or so, types of native sumac. The three I am familiar with are staghorn, dwarf and shiny. They bloom during the summer when not much else is blooming. 

Shane


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## biggraham610 (Jun 26, 2013)

tsmullins said:


> We have three, or so, types of native sumac. The three I am familiar with are staghorn, dwarf and shiny. They bloom during the summer when not much else is blooming.
> 
> Shane


Yeah TS, We may have the others, but the overwhelming majority here are of the Staghorn Variety. Is yours coming into bloom yet? Always seems later to me. G


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## tsmullins (Feb 17, 2011)

biggraham610 said:


> Yeah TS, We may have the others, but the overwhelming majority here are of the Staghorn Variety. Is yours coming into bloom yet? Always seems later to me. G


Our sumac is not blooming yet. Our sumac blooms after sourwood. If memory serves me correct, late July and August is the sumac bloom time for us.


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## Dominic (Jul 12, 2013)

tsmullins said:


> Our sumac is not blooming yet. Our sumac blooms after sourwood. If memory serves me correct, late July and August is the sumac bloom time for us.


Over here, the floral buds are out on the sumacs (Rhus typhina). I don't recall when they flower, but it's coming in a few weeks at most, I reckon.

As for the honey, I know some urban beekeepers had at least one batch that was mostly sumac, when the pollen analysis came in, though that may be somewhat misleading, as the male and female flowers of the sumac aren't on the same plant. I think they were saying good things about it.


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## Saltybee (Feb 9, 2012)

Never seen a bee on my Staghorn, did not know they would use it.


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## camero7 (Sep 21, 2009)

When I was working for a commercial in Maine he called it Sugar Bush. The bees were all over it. Here in MA bees use it too.


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## Saltybee (Feb 9, 2012)

Interesting, so mine have been holding out on me. 
I wonder if I am just a little too cool for a good yield from it. Maybe I have misidentified the type of sumac, there is a stand not 20 feet from the hives.


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## camero7 (Sep 21, 2009)

This is the one that makes honey


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## Saltybee (Feb 9, 2012)

Yeah that is not the one I have. Looks like this; http://www.ag.ndsu.edu/trees/handbook/th-3-59.pdf


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## camero7 (Sep 21, 2009)

Lots of that around here. Never seen a bee on it.


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## Slow Drone (Apr 19, 2014)

Rhus glabra is the one I get that not to often honey from. I think it's closely related to staghorn sumac.


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## Bob J (Feb 25, 2013)

Staghorn blooms are just starting to come out here.......


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## dsegrest (May 15, 2014)

All the replies seem to rate sumac honey pretty highly. Ours hasn't bloomed yet and I do everything I can to get rid of it so it may not get a chance. The neighbors have plenty though. It is hard to believe that something that smells so bad can make good honey.


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## biggraham610 (Jun 26, 2013)

dsegrest said:


> All the replies seem to rate sumac honey pretty highly. Ours hasn't bloomed yet and I do everything I can to get rid of it so it may not get a chance. The neighbors have plenty though. It is hard to believe that something that smells so bad can make good honey.



Yeah, like I said, we view it as an invasive pest, but there is no way to keep it in check on the whole farm. Im just glad the bees like it. I had no idea bees would use it until last year when bushhogging next to a mature stand of it I saw pollinators galore. So I kept my eyes open. Like I said, only the young plants from stuff we cut down last year are starting to bloom. Like TSMullins said, it seems it should be late july before the mature plants are blooming, or at least thats the time of year I think I recognized activity last year. G


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

>we view it as an invasive pest

I think if you look up "invasive" in a beekeeper dictionary it says "honey plant"... To me, nothing that makes good honey is a pest...


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## biggraham610 (Jun 26, 2013)

Michael Bush said:


> >we view it as an invasive pest
> 
> I think if you look up "invasive" in a beekeeper dictionary it says "honey plant"... To me, nothing that makes good honey is a pest...


That is a lesson a 2nd year beekeeper is learning now Mr. Bush. Thanks.:thumbsup:


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