Hi All,
 
I'm a bit ehind in my reading on the list, so only this weekend found the
discussion of jewelweed and goldenrod. I curious about sumac.
 
I supered my first-year bees about the time the sourwood bloomed here in
Piedmont NC, but when I checked them after the bloom was opened, I found no
honey - just chewed foundation.
 
Several weeks later (about three weeks ago) I opened the hive ready to
medicate and found half a super of honey. The color was a light yellow.
 
The only bloom I had noticed lately was from either shining sumac (Rhus
copallina) or smooth sumac (Rhus glabra) (the latter, I think.) This was
blooming in great profusion all around our locale. Goldenrod, meanwhile,
was pretty scarce (perhaps owing to drought - it's much more common now,
after some rain).
 
The ABC and XYZ circa 1950-something from the local library mentions sumac
as the source of very fine honey.
 
Anyone have any experience with this source?
 
Greg
 
____________________________________________________
Greg Hankins                       Mt. Gilead, NC
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