Goldenrod Honey Flavor and Benefits

Reader Contribution by Julia Miller
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by Adobestock/Michael Meijer

Learn about a honeybee fall favorite and the goldenrod honey flavor with its many benefits. Although it is most likely the bees are foraging on a variety of flowers, it is natural to assume the most prevalent flower at any given time is the strongest influence in the honey.

From July through November across the U.S., yellow spikes of flowers on tall, sharp-leafed stems fill ditches and vacant lots. Most people consider Goldenrod a weed to be mowed or eradicated in some chemical fashion. At Five Feline Farm, we allow areas of these to grow and mature with a purpose. Tall Goldenrod is a fall favorite of the honeybee. Although it is most likely the bees are foraging on a variety of flowers, it is natural to assume the most prevalent flower at any given time is the strongest influence in the honey. Since Goldenrod is available in significant quantities at this time of year, this nectar is the primary component of the honey being produced now.

Nectar sourced from Goldenrod produces a distinct honey. Fellow beekeepers warned to not be alarmed when Goldenrod is in bloom. Even when opening the hive and before harvesting honey, the smell is markedly different. Without this advance notice, I would have been concerned something was wrong. Some written descriptions categorize this as a spicy smell. Others suggest a faint licorice aroma. The leaves of Goldenrod (actually a member of the herb family) do smell a bit like licorice when crushed so perhaps that is a nice way to characterize it. Honestly, my best descriptor for the smell of Goldenrod honey is “cheesy”.

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Goldenrod Honey Flavor

  • Updated on Jun 30, 2023
  • Originally Published on Oct 10, 2013
Tagged with: beekeeping, goldenrod, honey, Illinois, Julia Miller, Reader Contributions
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