Mast flowering
Flowering heavily at intervals of several years rather than annually — which makes some honeys occasional by nature.
Definition
Many eucalypts flower heavily only every second year or longer: jarrah on roughly a two-year cycle, karri at intervals of several years. New Zealand rātā masts locally. Bud development often begins a year or more ahead, so a beekeeper can forecast a flow and still lose it to drought.
Where the word gets used loosely
A honey that is unavailable one year and abundant the next is often assumed to be a supply-chain problem or a marketing tactic. It is frequently the tree. Stored stock from a good year is routinely sold through a lean one, which is normal practice and worth knowing when a harvest date is quoted.
See also
Other botany terms
Sources
Sources
- HoneyHQ editorial synthesis — HEKNO Ltd · HoneyHQ synthesis
How sources are selected and weighted is set out in the sources and evidence policy.