Spoke today with a state bee inspector from our neck of the woods
(Montgomery County, NC, in the south central part of that state, near the
SC line). He mentioned that a small area encompassing parts of 3-4 counties
hereabouts produces a unique yellow honey that is slow to crystallize. I
obtained such a honey from last year's spring flow.

He suggested that the source might be a small, yellow-flowered plant that
seems common in pastures around here in the spring. The pasture adjacent to
my beeyard indeed has many such flowers, along with plenty of Dutch White
Clover.

The plant appears to be Hop Clover (Trifolium agrarium) which my Audubon
guide tells me is a Europeam import found mostly in the Northeast US
blooming June-September. I'm guessing the difference in latitude could
account for earlier bloom down here.

Anyone have any experience with this plant as a honey source?

I'd appreciate any and all info.

Greg


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Greg Hankins                    Happy Hank's Honey House
[log in to unmask]                 Mt. Gilead, North Carolina