Ogeechee tupelo
Ogeechee tupelo (Nyssa ogeche) is a small swamp tree of the south-eastern United States whose spring flowers give bees nectar for tupelo honey.
Ogeechee tupelo (Nyssa ogeche), also called white tupelo or bee-tupelo, is a small tree or many-branched shrub of the tupelo family. It is native to the south-eastern United States, from the South Carolina coast through Georgia's Ogeechee valley to northern and western Florida, and it grows only on constantly wet, often flooded ground along rivers and swamps.
Its tiny flowers open from late March to early May, after the new leaves. Male and female flowers sit on separate trees, and the male flowers in particular produce an abundance of nectar; bees are extremely active in the trees while they bloom.
Thousands of hectares of the tree have been planted in bee farms along the lower Apalachicola River in Florida and around the swamps where it grows wild, and the bees there make what is sold as tupelo honey. The sour fruit, known as the Ogeechee lime, goes into preserves.
Why this matters to you: real tupelo honey depends on a short spring bloom of a flood-bound tree found in a handful of river valleys, which is why supply is small.
Facts
| Botanical origin | Nyssa ogeche W. Bartram ex Marshall, tupelo family (Nyssaceae) |
|---|---|
| Season | Late March to early May |
| Region | South-eastern USA: South Carolina coast, Georgia, northern and western Florida |
How it connects to Honey & beekeeping
Ogeechee tupelo → kind of → Honey plants → kind of → 🍯 Honey
Links
- Part of
- Honey plants
- Which honey it gives
- Tupelo honey
Frequently asked questions
When does Ogeechee tupelo flower?
From late March to early May, after the new leaves have grown.
Where does it grow?
In the south-eastern United States: the South Carolina coast, Georgia's Ogeechee and Altamaha valleys, and northern and western Florida.
Is it true that the Ogeechee lime is a citrus fruit?
No. It is the sour fruit of this tupelo, a wetland tree of the tupelo family; it is made into preserves.
Why do bees like the tree?
The male flowers produce an abundance of nectar, and bees are extremely active in the trees during bloom.
Where is tupelo honey produced?
Mainly along the lower Apalachicola River in Florida, where thousands of hectares were planted in bee farms.
Similar
Black locust · Rapeseed · Sweet chestnut · Heather (ling) · Lavender · Rosemary
Sources
- Kossuth S. V., Scheer R. L. Ogeechee tupelo (Nyssa ogeche). In: Silvics of North America, vol. 2, Hardwoods. USDA Forest Service, Agriculture Handbook 654 (1990)
- Wunderlin R. P., Hansen B. F., Franck A. R., Essig F. B. (2025) Atlas of Florida Plants: Nyssa ogeche