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Gallberry is an evergreen shrub which sprouts from
underground runners, grows to about 7-9 feet in height with numerous small,
white flowers and black berries. It is the dominant Flora of the Ground Cover
in the Pine Forests of the Apalachicola National Forest. It blooms in the
spring in the south Atlantic and Gulf States and produces a light amber honey
with a yellowish cast. Individual flowers are in small clusters on short
stalks. Leaves are simple, alternate, and persistent. Leaf blades are somewhat
leathery, elliptic in shape, and about 1-2 inches in length. The fruit is a
spherical, black drupe, less than a centimeter in diameter. |
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It contains several 1-seeded nutlets. Gallberry grows in pine
savannas, flatwoods, bogs, seepage areas, and on the lower slopes of wooded
ravines. This plant grows from Nova Scotia to south Florida, and west to
northeast Texas, mainly on the coastal plain. This honey is a southern U.S.
favorite for it's light amber in color and pleasant aromatic flavor. Gallberry
honey does not crystallize or granulate even in cold weather. |
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