What is Monofloral Honey ?

Most honeys are polyfloral (poly is the prefix for many or much) meaning the nectar that the bees collected comes from a variety of plants.  Although harder to manage, beekeepers can also get the bees to produce monofloral honey.  Monofloral honey (mono is the prefix for one or single) is when bees collect nectar from one primarily flower source.  Which is difficult because bees do not listen to beekeepers.  They visit whichever flower suits them.  There will be other sources of nectar in a monofloral honey.    It the USA the floral source of a particular honey has to be at least 40% in order to be considered a monofloral.  Canada relies on variables within the honey to determine the monofloral source. 

There are different reasons why people like monofloral honey.  For example, buckwheat honey and manuka honey are sought because of their healing and health properties.  Some countries are known for their production of monofloral honey.   Here in Canada, we are known for our clover honey.  Manuka honey comes from New Zealand.  Cherry blossom and apple blossom honeys are from Britain.  France and Spain are noted for orange blossom and lavender honey.  Different countries have different requirements in order to be considered a monofloral honey.  For example, cedar honey comes from Lebanon.  It is required to be harvested from hives located within a radius of 5 km within a cedar forest.  Therefore, cedar honey can only come from three reserves in Lebanon.

In order to produce a monofloral honey; beekeepers put their hives in large areas of a specialized crops that is currently in bloom, so the bees have little choice but to visit only those plants