Baffling Purple Honey Found Only in NC

BBC - Ivy Carruth 2025

In a quiet corner of North Carolina, bees produce a violet-hued honey so rare and unpredictable that even experts can't explain it – and that's what makes it magical.

In the Sandhills region of North Carolina, between the capital of Raleigh and the Nascar Hall of Fame in the sport-mad town of Charlotte, visitors may not even realise what a rare ecological niche they're stepping into. This is where the Atlantic once met the venerable Uwharrie Mountains, 145km inland; when the ocean pulled away, it left behind the grit that gave the region its name.

The region is one of the last homes for unique flora and fauna like the southern hognose snake and the Carolina gopher frog, both of which are endangered. What it's also known for, though, is something that has university researchers, foodies and conspiracy theorists all scratching their heads. It's a rare and coveted honey in a deep shade of aubergine-purple, and no one knows for sure what gives it the hue.

People largely travel to the Sandhills region for open-air adrenaline pursuits and laid-back rural charm – think corn mazes, trout fishing and country fair-style Americana.

The prestigious Pinehurst Golf Resort, commonly referred to as the "cradle of American golf", is here (don't miss its celebrated No 2 course), as is the horse riding hub Southern Pines and its abundance of equestrian trails and backcountry trekking. Kayakers and canoers flock to Drowning Creek, drawn by the scenic 13-mile route from Turnpike Road to Highway 401.

But travelers also come to the region to seek out something even more extraordinary than threatened species and unique biomes. Here, if the conditions are exactly right (a mystery even to the experts) and the timing is perfect (a secret only the bees know), apiarists will visit their hives and find not just frames brimming with a slow and sultry river of liquid gold, but perhaps one that gleams with deep violet treasure.

"It is true that nobody knows what causes purple honey," says Paige Burns, who has a degree in horticulture and works with farmers and foresters in her role as the Richmond County Extension Director. Theories abound, both of the folklore and pseudo-scientific variety, and much like a porch swing, everybody here has one.

Burns tells me a few of the more popular speculations: that it's the alkalinity of the soil changing the honey's colour as it does hydrangeas from blue to pink; that it's wild berries surrounding the bee's territory; and, the one that sparks the most vociferous debate among locals, that it's the deep violet flower of the invasive (and wildly reviled) kudzu vine. Beekeepers in the area have reported finding the jewel-hued honey in their hives for years, but even so, its appearance is so sporadic and at the whim of chance, it continues to be a surprise when it does appear.

Don Dees, who owns and operates Dees Bees Apiary in nearby Aberdeen, North Carolina, has purple honey on his website, but it's sold out. It's impossible to pre-sale for this year's harvest since no one knows how much, or even if, the bees will deign to colour the combs in plum or in the customary amber. Instead, he invites people to check his Facebook page for updates from mid-July. His pure raw honey costs $16.50 (£13) for 900g. Purple honey, when he has it, goes for $75 (about £58) for an 85g glass jar. Talk about finding treasure; this is a limited edition in every sense of the word.

Dees' take on the phenomenon? He refutes the lore that aluminium in the terrain plays a factor and insists that kudzu isn't part of the equation, reasoning his apiary would produce it every season if so. Purple honey is most likely to arise under drought-like conditions, he says, and Dees believes that blue-black huckleberries that grow on shrubs rooted in thirst-tolerant clay feed the hard-up-for-food bees that can't locate traditional more water-dependent blooms.

However, Rusty Burlew, a master beekeeper who directs the Native Bee Conservancy of Washington State, says that a lot of circumstantial evidence points to the inky-violet flower of the kudzu, and she doubts that bees have the jaws necessary to pierce fruit for nectar. Flavour-wise, she says, "to my untrained palate, the honey really does taste purple, in a grape-y sort of way".

Burns tells me that she's never been one of the lucky ones to harvest the jammy-sweet treasure. "One of the beekeepers I work with, she's probably, as the crow flies, two miles from me. I'm on the creek; she's on the creek. Obviously, we're in a very similar environment. She regularly gets purple honey; I've never gotten it." Laughing, she adds that it's a surprise even to the bee farmers when they open the hive and find it. "Some years you get it, and then 10 years you don't."

And here I am, a native to the state, with no idea such a wild-foraged wonder existed. Turns out some mysteries aren't just hidden; they're hidden in plain sight. That's the beauty of travel: not just the landscapes that render you speechless or the food that rewrites the rules, but the stories you stumble into along the way. The ones that don't come with tidy explanations or easy answers. There aren't many of those left.

There's something incredible about standing under a sky unbothered by city lights, surrounded by the literal hum of a place still untamed, knowing that not even the beekeepers – who spend their days elbow-deep in the stuff – can tell you why this honey defies nature's colour wheel. Maybe we'll never know. And perhaps that's the point. Some places keep their secrets – and that's precisely what makes them worth the trip.

Late Spring 2025 Snapshots From Extension’s Pollinator Paradise Garden

— Written By Debbie Roos

Cooperative Extension’s Pollinator Paradise Demonstration Garden was created in late 2008 at Chatham Mills in Pittsboro to provide forage from early spring to late fall for pollinators such as native bees, honey bees, wasps, butterflies, flower flies, hummingbirds, beetles, and other beneficial insects. The garden features over 225 unique species of perennials, 85% of which are native to North Carolina. The garden is a great teaching tool that I use to conduct workshops and tours for hundreds of folks each year. It has taught me so much and I enjoy sharing this knowledge with others. Below you can see photos of the pollinator garden from mid-May through mid-June.

Click here for links to all the seasonal photo collections

Registration Is Now Open For Summer Pollinator Garden Tours!

Summer tours of North Carolina Cooperative Extension’s Pollinator Paradise Demonstration Garden in Pittsboro start in early July!

The garden features over 225 species of perennials, trees, shrubs, vines, and grasses, and 85% of them are native to North Carolina. This is a great opportunity to visit the popular gathering spot for honey bees, native bees, butterflies, hummingbirds, and beneficial insects in addition to their human admirers! The tours are led by Chatham County Agriculture Agent Debbie Roos, teacher to many of the BMGC designers.

There is no charge for the tour but registration is required to limit group size. The tours tend to fill up quickly so don’t delay in registering if you really want to attend.

Visit the Pollinator Garden Tour web page for a listing of tour dates and times and links to register. 

Debbie looks forward to seeing you at the garden!

BOOK REVIEW:

A Lively Hive, A Biodynamic Beekeeping Guide for Honeybee Health

The revolutionary beekeeping method that is providing a radical return to healthy bee hives in the U.S. and around the world today is explained in detail in A Lively Hive. Author, Alex Tuchman, the Director of Spikenard Farm Honeybee Sanctuary in Floyd, Virginia, walks the reader through both the philosophy and practical applications that have shown remarkable success rates. In the past five years, the catastrophic loss of 45% of U.S. honeybee colonies has been well documented. By contrast, in that same time period Spikenard Farm Honeybee Sanctuary has shown an astonishing low loss of only 12%.

Tuchman shares the significant difference between beekeeping methods that exploit the honeybee for human agribusiness and alternative methods to beekeeping that are in line with the instincts and wisdom of the honeybees themselves. The amazing results, as it turns out, are found at heart in the relationship and communication between the honeybee and the human – that when we listen to what the bees are telling us, only then are we guided to best provide for the bees' needs in the physical world.

—Barbara

PLANT FOCUS: Eryngium yuccifolium

Not only is rattlesnake master an exquisite name for heavy metal band, it can be a great addition to perennial gardens and naturalized areas.  A native to prairies and open woodlands in the southeast, rattlesnake master has a striking appearance and blooms June-September.  The course-textured bluish leaves and distinctive flower heads provide nice contrast in the garden setting. Superficially, it seems a bit confused as to what family it belongs to.  It’s leaves look yucca-like, and the inflorescences resemble those of thistle. But it’s actually in the family of Apiaceae, making it a relative of parsley, coriander, carrots, and fennel.  The small blooms on the flower heads have a sweet aroma and are highly attractive to bees, wasps, butterflies, and other beneficial insects. Rattlesnake master needs full sun and does not tolerate wet feet, so good drainage is preferred. 

Some excellent companion plants that share similar growing conditions and attract pollinators include purple coneflower, black-eyed susan, and butterfly weed. Native grasses like little bluestem and big bluestem also pair well with rattlesnake master. 

We currently have extra rattlesnake master ($22.50) in stock.  Let us know how many you would like, and we will figure out a way to get them to you.  

—Barbara

TO-DO List for JULY

It’s time to stay on top of the harvest! As vegetable plants start to produce, be sure to check them regularly so crops don’t rot on the vine, get too big, or become snagged by pests before you can get to them! It’s also a great idea to stay on top of succession planting, watering, and deadheading.

• Start seeds indoors for heading cole crops for your fall garden now. Direct sow radishes, carrots, beets, turnips, and kale in late July through August.

• Watch the leaves of your tomato plants for signs of leaf spot diseases.

• Continue monitoring for pests discussed in the June task list.

• Seeds can continue to be sown throughout July for late crops of beets, bush beans, carrots, Swiss chard, cucumbers, and summer squash. Cover with pre-moistened potting soil mix which will be less likely to crust and crack. To hold in the moisture, cover the rows with a very thin layer of mulch or floating row cover fabric.

• Keep deadheading flowers as needed to prolong the bloom season.

• Divide and transplant bearded iris using the vigorous ends of the rhizomes. Discard the old center portion. Cut the leaves back to about six inches.

• Control mosquitoes by eliminating all sources of stagnant water. Consider installing a bat house to encourage bat habitats — they eat mosquitoes!

• A garden needs one inch of rain or water each week. Early morning is the best time to water. Evening watering is less desirable because plant leaves that remain wet through the night are more susceptible to fungal diseases. Mulch plants to reduce water losses and improve yields.

• If your garlic hasn’t been harvested yet, do it now! 

• Check the soil moisture of container-grown vegetables and flowers daily. As the temperature rises, some plants may need water twice a day.

• Continue to pinch the flowers off of herbs like basil, mint, and oregano to promote bushy growth. 

• Prepare beds for fall crops by sowing them now with a cover crop of fast-growing buckwheat. 

• Water vegetable gardens deeply as needed.

“And still, after all this time, the Sun has never said to the Earth, "You owe me." Look what happens with love like that. It lights up the sky.”

–Rumi

Happy Gardening!