Wildflower honey
Also known as: wild flower honey
Wildflower honey is a polyfloral honey from the nectar of wild-growing plants of meadows, woods and hills; EU law does not define the term separately.
Wildflower honey is a polyfloral honey that bees make from the nectar of many wild-growing plants – meadow, woodland and mountain flowers – rather than from one crop. The name promises a natural, mixed pasture, not a single plant.
Directive 2001/110/EC on honey has no separate category for it. Under the Directive a plant name may be used only when the honey comes wholly or mainly from that plant, so in legal terms a wildflower jar is simply honey. Its taste and colour change with place and season.
Some protected names are built on wild flora. Mel do Parque de Montezinho, from a natural park in north-eastern Portugal, is a wild-flower honey of the Iberian bee, with heather, chestnut and rosemary and no artificial feeding. Miel des Landes accepts pollen of cultivated plants only as isolated grains.
A study of six Italian Alpine "wildflower" honeys found by pollen analysis that several were in fact rhododendron or raspberry honey, or a blend of the two.
Why this matters to you: "wildflower" describes a landscape, not a recipe. If origin matters, look for the region, the harvest season or a protected name on the label.
Facts
| Botanical origin | Nectar of many wild-growing meadow, woodland and mountain plants |
|---|---|
| Taste | Changes with place and season |
| Season | In the Landes, nectar flows run from spring to early winter |
| Region | Anywhere; e.g. Montezinho park (Portugal), Landes (France), Italian Alps |
How it connects to Honey & beekeeping
Wildflower honey → kind of → Blossom and honeydew honey → kind of → 🍯 Honey
Links
Frequently asked questions
What is wildflower honey?
Polyfloral honey from the nectar of many wild-growing plants, not from a single crop.
Is "wildflower honey" a legal category?
Not in EU law: it is simply honey. A plant name is allowed only for honey mainly from that plant.
Is it true that wildflower honey always comes from many flowers?
No. Pollen analysis of Italian Alpine "wildflower" honeys showed that several were in fact rhododendron or raspberry honey.
Why does the taste vary from jar to jar?
The plants change with place and season, so colour and taste change too.
Which protected honeys are based on wild flowers?
For example Mel do Parque de Montezinho in Portugal and Miel des Landes in France.
What to read next
- Galtee Raw Wildflower Comb Honey — Comb honey from Irish wildflowers by Galtee Honey Farm, cut straight from the hive, in a 230 g tub.
- Mountain honey — Mountain honey is a multifloral honey that bees gather in the mountains, usually on mountain meadows and pastures.
- Langnese Flotte Biene Wildblütenhonig — Liquid wildflower honey by Langnese in a 250 g or 500 g Flotte Biene dispenser.
- Darbo Naturrein Wildblütenhonig — Wildflower honey from Spain or Greece in a 300 g Darbo dispenser.
- Meadow honey — Meadow honey is a multifloral honey that bees gather from the nectar of many meadow plants, with no single dominant source.
Similar
Spring honey · Meadow honey · Mountain honey · Dandelion honey · Phacelia honey · Pine honey (pine honeydew honey)
ℹ️ Honey is mostly sugars: about 82 g per 100 g. Do not give honey to babies under 1 year old because of the risk of infant botulism.
Sources
- Council Directive 2001/110/EC relating to honey, consolidated text 23.6.2014 (EUR-Lex)
- Leoni V. et al. (2021) Multidisciplinary analysis of Italian Alpine wildflower honey reveals criticalities, diversity and value. Scientific Reports
- DGADR, Produtos Tradicionais Portugueses: Mel do Parque de Montesinho DOP
- Single document Miel des Landes PGI, OJ C/2026/3214 (EUR-Lex)
- FAO, Krell R. (1996) Value-added products from beekeeping, Chapter 2 Honey