This premium range showcases the unique mono-floral honeys of New Zealand.
The mono-floral honeys are produced by careful attention to beekeeping methods, such as the placement of hives in areas with high concentration of the desired floral source, the harvesting of the honey immediately following the end of the nectar flow from this flower, the checking of honey frames at the time of extraction and the laboratory testing of the honey for pollen counts and other variables. As a result, the specific honey characteristics of each floral source can be assured and enjoyed.
Honeyland has selected a range of honeys representative of the floral diversity of New Zealand:
- the native forests produce Rewarewa, Tawari, and Kamahi honeys;
- the new regenerating forests and wilderness lands produce Manuka honey;
- from the Northern coasts comes Pohutukawa honey;
- Blue Borage and Thyme are representative of the wild herbs growing in New Zealand;
- and finally there is Clover honey, a significant feature of the agricultural pasture lands.
Find out more about our Rewarewa Honey
Find out more about our Manuka Honey
Find out more about our Clover Honey
To find out more about Honeyland’s Tawari, Kamahi, Pohutukawa, Blue Borage and Thyme honeys please contact us.
Botanical name Knightia excelsa
Maori name Rewarewa
The Rewarewa tree (New Zealand’s Honeysuckle tree) is related to the Australian Bottle-brush. It is a distinctive tall upright branching tree, reaching up to 30 metres. It is found often in regenerating bush as secondary growth, throughout the North Island and in the Marlborough Sounds, at the top of the South Island.
In New Zealand’s late Spring (October to December) brick red, needle-like flowers are borne in bunches on the top branches. These flower clusters (inflorescence) slowly split as they mature and curl into tight intricate spirals. This spiral shape, seen frequently with plants in New Zealand forests, has become a New Zealand icon, symbolizing the unfolding potential of our life cycle. The unique flowers stay curled on the tree until late summer when they fall to cover the earth in a thick red carpet. These flowers are pollinated by the many nectar-feeding birds of New Zealand.
The Maori people recognised the healing power of this nectar long before the arrival of the honey bee, Apis mellifera. The flower was broken off and tapped against the side of a calabash to collect the nectar and this was sucked through a hollow reed stalk to sooth an inflamed throat. These days the honey bee makes this precious nectar much more accessible, and it is through modern medical research that its medicinal value can be proved. In particular, the Waikato University Honey Research Unit has looked at the antioxidant properties of various New Zealand honeys and has revealed that Rewarewa honey has significant antioxidant levels. In the future we may see this honey marketed in a similar way to UMF® Manuka honey, with test results stating specific antioxidant levels.
Characteristics of Rewarewa Honey
- Colour is amber but when the liquid honey is held up to the light it has a distinctive reddish tinge. It has a reading of 85–95mm on the Pfund scale (which measures from 0mm, colourless, to 140mm, black).
- Flavour is smooth, malty and complex, with overtones of dried fruit.
- Aroma is intense, slightly smoky, forest hints.
- Low moisture content (14-16%) gives the honey a dry silky texture.
- This honey is slow to granulate and when left naturally it forms large crystals.
- The pollen grains are large, designed for bird pollination. The structure of the flower, with the pollen-bearing anthers being quite separate from the nectarines, means that as the bees gather the nectar they seldom collect the pollen. Thus the Rewarewa honey has a low pollen representation.
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Botanical name Leptospermum scoparium
Maori name Kahikatoa
The Maori recognized the Manuka tree as a special child of Tane Mahuta, the God of New Zealand’s forest, in spite of its small size and insignificant shape. This Manuka was valued by both Maori and early European settlers and used medicinally for a wide range of treatments including poultices of the bark and seed pod for burns and wounds, infusions of the leaves and bark for digestive problems, inflammation and pain relief, and even inhalations for colds. It is interesting to note that these treatments using the leaves and bark of the Manuka tree correlate with the healing properties of the honey, as supported by recent scientific research.
The Manuka has a close relative, Kanuka, Leptospermum ericoides, which produces pollen and honey virtually indistinguishable from Manuka, and with similar healing properties. Both trees grow throughout New Zealand, from coastal scrubland right up to Alpine altitudes, in uncultivated wilderness areas, giving nursery shelter to regenerating forest trees.
The Manuka grows up to 4 metres, but the taller Kanuka can reach 15 metres. Both have attractive five-petalled white flowers tinged with pink centers, yielding nectar in early New Zealand Summer (November to early January). In a good season, trees covered with a profusion of these delicate white flowers look as though they are covered with a light dusting of snow.
Characteristics of Manuka Honey
- Colour is dark, measuring 85–105 on the Pfund scale (which measures from 0mm, colourless, through to 140mm, black).
- Rich in minerals, which can be measured in terms of its conductivity.
- Flavour is intense, herbaceous, earthy with a distinctive mineral after taste.
- Aroma is strong, aromatic and heather-like.
- Some Manuka Honey has antibacterial properties additional to the honey’s usual Peroxide Activity, and this is called ‘Active Manuka Honey’. This is packed under the licensed trademark UMF® which stands for ‘Unique Manuka Factor’. Honeyland produces a range of UMF® Manuka Honeys.
- Thixatropic, having a thick, jelly-like quality related to the presence of a protein similar to the egg white. This makes the honey difficult to extract from the cells of the honey comb.
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Botanical name Trifolium repens
Common name White Clover
White Clover is a perennial legume of temperate regions, growing in a sprawling, prostrate manner. It was introduced into New Zealand by the early European settlers and has become the key to New Zealand’s successful pastoral farming. It has an ability to fix nitrogen in the soil, creating a balanced ecological system, reducing the reliance on artificial fertilizers. At the same time it adds quality to animal diets and increases livestock performance, particularly important for New Zealand’s dairy industry.
White Clover is extremely common in New Zealand, not only in grazed pastures, but also occurring as a wild flower in waste and cultivated areas, having adapted to a large range of soil types and climatic conditions.
The white flower, flushed with a pink throat, is densely packed into a spherical flower cluster. It begins to appear in pastures in New Zealand’s early Summer. However, it is not until soil temperatures are raised with the critical moisture level dropping, and the plant becoming slightly stressed, that the honey flow reaches its peak – usually around January, though this depends greatly on the locality and weather. Bees are vital for pollination, creating an important synergy between agriculture and apiculture.
‘Summer on the farm’ is traditionally associated with expansive fields of clover. The saying “up to your knees in clover” is associated with a blissful state of well-being – intoxicated by the sweet smelling flowers, the warm sunshine and the happy sound of busy bees.
White Clover Honey Characteristics
- Colour ranges from very light, almost colourless like water, to a pale gold colour, depending on soil and climatic conditions. It can vary from 0-60 on the Pfund scale (which measures from 0mm, colourless, to 140mm, black). Lighter clover honey comes from the south of the South Island.
- Flavour is clean, mild, sweet and delicate.
- Aroma is suggestive of dry grass, with a hint of plums.
- An ideal honey to add to hot drinks, such as tea, coffee and herbal teas, and to use in delicate tasting bakery.
- This honey has been the traditional mainstay of New Zealand beekeeping, setting the standard for all other honey.
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