Lavender
Lavender (Lavandula) is an aromatic plant that bees visit with great eagerness.
Lavender (Lavandula) is an aromatic plant that bees visit with great eagerness. Lavender honey is made mainly from the hybrid lavandin (Lavandula × intermedia), grown for essential oil in France and Spain, and also from true lavender, broad-leaved lavender and French lavender. The honey is light, bright yellow, with a medium woody-floral aroma, medium acidity and moderate crystallisation.
This honey is highly valued and traded internationally. One point matters for checks: lavandin pollen is strongly under-represented in the honey or even absent, so pollen analysis cannot prove lavender origin. The EU directive allows up to 15 g of sucrose per 100 g.
Why this matters to you: the word lavender on a label from Provence or Spain most often means lavandin grown for essential oil.
Facts
| Botanical origin | Lavandula spp. (mainly Lavandula × intermedia) |
|---|---|
| Region | Lavandin grown mainly in France and Spain; also Southern Europe |
| Main use | Essential oil (lavandin); for bees, extremely attractive nectar |
How it connects to Honey & beekeeping
Lavender → kind of → Honey plants → kind of → 🍯 Honey
Links
- Part of
- Honey plants
- Which honey it gives
- Lavender honey
Frequently asked questions
Which lavender gives the honey?
Mainly lavandin (Lavandula × intermedia), grown for essential oil in France and Spain; also true, broad-leaved and French lavender.
Is it true that pollen proves a honey is lavender?
No. Lavandin pollen is strongly under-represented or absent in the honey, so pollen analysis does not confirm it.
How much sucrose is allowed in lavender honey?
The EU directive allows up to 15 g per 100 g.
What does lavender honey look and taste like?
Light and bright yellow, with a medium woody-floral aroma, medium acidity and moderate crystallisation.
Do bees like lavender?
Yes, they visit it with great eagerness; lavender honey is highly valued and traded internationally.
Similar
Black locust · Rapeseed · Sweet chestnut · Heather (ling) · Rosemary · Thyme
Sources
- Persano Oddo L., Piro R. (2004) Main European unifloral honeys: descriptive sheets. Apidologie 35 (Suppl. 1)
- Directive 2001/110/EC relating to honey (consolidated, EUR-Lex)