Sap, Energy, and Syrup (OER)

Join Lindsay Hollister, JPPM's horticulturalist, in the field as she "taps" a black walnut tree for its sap and, eventually, syrup! Trees are usually tapped early in the spring as the sap is rising, distributing energy stored in the trees roots to the buds waiting on the branches until photosynthesis can start again. This video includes an animated food web showing how the energy in the sap and from photosynthesis gets distributed in the ecosystem, and includes basic information on the ratios of water and sugar in sap versus the ratio of water to sugar needed for food-grade syrup.
Always be sure you can successfully identify a plant before using it and take precautions to avoid negative reactions.
This resource is part of Jefferson Patterson Park and Museum’s open educational resources project to provide history, ecology, archaeology, and conservation resources related to our 560 acre public park. More of our content can be found at www.oercommons.org. JPPM is a part of the Maryland Historical Trust under the Maryland Department of Planning. This video is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License.