Unique West Coast Native Honies

Enjoy these unique WILD HONEYS from Moonshine Trading Company

Northwestern Meadowfoam Honey

As part of our ongoing interest in the genus Limnanthes, we are now happy to offer "Meadowfoam Honey." Produced in Central Oregon from fields of the foamy white flowers of Limnanthes alba, which is also native to northern California and the Pacific northwest, this honey is prized by chefs, brewers, tea-drinkers, and more. It is rated Number One on Sunset Magazine's "Top 5 West Coast Honeys List," and is described as: "sporting a serious toasted marshmallow flavor up front, and finishing with a mellow vanilla dissolving on your tongue." We were skeptical, but it's true! This complex honey is hard to resist.

Paired with a packet of Meadowfoam Seeds and/or our Meadowfoam Seed Oil, this condiment makes a unique and pleasing gift basket from the native fauna of the west coast.

California Spring Wildflower Honey

California Spring Wildflower Honey is a blend of wild nectars producing an aromatic full-bodied honey, light and crisp. A sweet reminder of California's beloved flower fields.

When baking, substitute 3/4 cup honey or a bit less for every cup of sugar.

California Buckeye Honey

It is known that both the pollen and nectar of the California Buckeye tree are toxic to the European honey bee when it is the only forage available. Usually, Buckeye blooms along with many other wildflowers, diminishing its potency. However, at some times during the blossoming period, it is the only nectar source available. An unknowing beekeeper allowed his bees to harvest from the enticing blossoms, therefore losing many bees. The result from this sad situation is that the beekeeper harvested a honey that we never expected to taste, and one that we don’t expect to see again. We are excited to offer this extremely rare honey while our supply lasts. Please understand that encouraging bees to harvest from the California Buckeye is not a practice of ours, nor something we would recommend. However, the honey is absolutely delicious and perfectly safe for consumption.

This honey glows with a reddish hue. The flavor first hits the palate with a delicate caramel taste and finishes in a pleasant malty flavor.

California Toyon Honey

This honey, sometimes but not always available, is made from the nectar of Toyon (Heteromeles arbutifolia),a hardy, evergreen shrub found throughout California. It is a smoky, nutty treat. The flavor is thought by some to resemble toasted hazelnuts.

Toyon is a widely adaptable useful large shrub or small tree used for hedges and specimen trees. It is the City Tree of Los Angeles. From a distance, it can sometimes be mistaken for a smaller version of Coast Live Oak, with a similar form. White flowers in summer are followed by deep crimson berries. Toyon feeds many different insects and birds.

Black Button Sage Honey

Coastal California’s scrubland and chaparral plant communities are home to Black Button Sage which earns its cute nickname from the pillowy “buttons” of purple flowerets that grow on its tall stalks. Since only a few of the flowerets bloom at one time on each stem, this native plant provides a consistent nectar source for honeybees from February through June.

The sages, or salvias as some know them, are famous for their ubiquitous variety of scents. Black Button Sage has one of the finest fragrances of all, an enveloping, velvety rich bouquet. This sage requires an especially arid habitat with as much early spring rain as possible in order to thrive, making this a very unique and rare honey.

Black Button Sage honey’s exemplary characteristics include a golden-white color, non-crystalizing quality, and delightfully light floral flavor with a hint of pear, making it a highly sought-after treat by beekeepers and honey lovers alike.

California Buckwheat Honey

California Buckwheat is a drought-resistant native wildflower that thrives along the dry slopes and chaparral ecosystems of Northern California. Once used by Native Americans as a powerful medicinal herb, this dryland hero boasts surprisingly frilly little clusters of white and pink blossoms. This wild buckwheat known as erigonum, appears in many forms; creeping along the ground, in densely flowering low bushes, and into sprawling trees. Whatever form they come in, the bees do not discriminate, they love them all.

With a rich flavor like creamy caramel, the flowers’ blossoms are a welcome nectar source for honeybees, especially in times of drought. This flower grows all over California, from home gardens to wild forests.