Considered one of the finest honey in the world, Tupelo honey is harvested from bees collecting nectar through the swamps of Florida and Georgia, along the Appalachicola, Chipola, and Choctahatchie River basins, home to the highest concentrations of Tupelo trees (Nyssa sylvatica) in the world. Equally likely to thrive in wetlands and non-wetlands, they are classified as a Facultative (FAC) wetland plant by the NCRS.
Tupelo trees typically start blooming the last week of April every year for about 3 weeks. Some years the blossoms don't even last this long, they are delicate, and a strong wind or hard rain can rip them from the trees.
Immortalized in the 1971 Van Morrison song and album titled, "Tupelo Honey", for no discernible reason, it is a light colored honey, bright and buttery in taste. Its scarcity is due to the short, but intense Tupelo blooming season. In comparison to others honeys from around the world - Tupelo honey has a high fructose content, making it one of the few honeys that never crystallize.
Further Reading:
USDA, NRCS. 2019. The PLANTS Database (http://plants.usda.gov, 15 November 2019). National Plant Data Team, Greensboro, NC 27401-4901 USA.