Silver fir
Silver fir (Abies alba) is a tall European mountain conifer whose honeydew, not nectar, gives bees the raw material of fir honey.
Silver fir (Abies alba) is a large evergreen conifer of Europe's mountains and one of the tallest firs on the continent, at over 60 m. It grows mostly at 500–2000 m in Central Europe, on the Swiss plateau, in southern and eastern Germany, Czechia and Austria, and also in the Pyrenees, the Alps, the Carpathians, the Apennines, Albania and along the Dinaric Alps to the Rhodope.
The tree flowers only after 30 to 40 years, in April or May. For beekeepers it counts for its honeydew, the sugary excretion of sap-sucking insects such as the aphid Cinara pectinata. Fir honey is a recognised single-source honey in Europe, dark to almost black with green glints, very thick and slow to set.
Several protected names rest on it: Miel de sapin des Vosges in France, and in Poland Miód spadziowy z Beskidu Wyspowego, at least 95 % silver-fir honeydew, and Podkarpacki miód spadziowy. On the shelf it appears as fir honeydew honey.
Why this matters to you: fir honey is a forest crop, so its yield depends on insects living on the trees rather than on flowers.
Facts
| Botanical origin | Abies alba Mill., pine family (Pinaceae); honeydew of sap-sucking insects |
|---|---|
| Season | Flowers in April–May on trees older than 30–40 years; bees collect honeydew |
| Region | Mountains of Central, Southern and Eastern Europe, mostly 500–2000 m |
How it connects to Honey & beekeeping
Silver fir → kind of → Honey plants → kind of → 🍯 Honey
Links
- Part of
- Honey plants
- Which honey it gives
- Fir honeydew honey, Miel de sapin des Vosges, Miód spadziowy z Beskidu Wyspowego, Podkarpacki miód spadziowy, Forest honey
Frequently asked questions
Do bees collect nectar from silver fir?
Fir honey comes from honeydew, the sugary excretion of sap-sucking insects such as the aphid Cinara pectinata.
What does fir honeydew honey look like?
Dark to very dark with a green fluorescence, very thick and slow to crystallise.
Is it true that fir honey is made from needles or resin?
No. Bees collect honeydew excreted by insects on the tree; needles and resin are not its source.
Where does silver fir grow?
Mostly at 500–2000 m in Central Europe, also in the Pyrenees, Alps, Carpathians, Apennines, Albania and the Dinaric Alps.
Which protected honeys come from it?
Miel de sapin des Vosges, Miód spadziowy z Beskidu Wyspowego and Podkarpacki miód spadziowy.
Similar
Turkish pine (Pinus brutia) · Black locust · Rapeseed · Sweet chestnut · Heather (ling) · Lavender
Sources
- Mauri A., de Rigo D., Caudullo G. (2016) Abies alba in Europe: distribution, habitat, usage and threats. European Atlas of Forest Tree Species, JRC
- Persano Oddo L., Piro R. (2004) Main European unifloral honeys: descriptive sheets (honeydew honey). Apidologie 35 (Suppl. 1)
- Persano Oddo L. et al. (2004) Botanical species giving unifloral honey in Europe. Apidologie 35, S82-S93
- Miel de sapin des Vosges (PDO), single document, Official Journal of the EU C 305, 15.9.2020