Wellington Apiary - Leatherwood Honey

The Leatherwood tree (Eucryphia lucida) is native to Tasmania, producing small, white, strongly scented flowers during late summer. Bees access the Leatherwood trees from apiaries on the west coast of Tasmania, deep in the World Heritage Area. They spend around six months of the year on these apiaries where they not only produce honey but remain when hibernating during winter. The slow growing Leatherwood forests were significantly damaged and reduced after the bushfires during January 2016 that engulfed the western coast of Tasmania, having a devastating impact on the Tasmanian beekeeping industry. Leatherwood honey is so distinctive it has been included in the International Ark of Taste (an international society that recognises rare, endangered and culturally significant foods).