What's the Buzz?

The other day I made a startling discovery! Malaleuca, which is common in South Florida where I have my hives, and MANUKA are closely related!!! Some folks even felt that they were exactly the same…..my beekeeping partner actually stopped labeling some of our wildflower honey "Malaleuca" and was marking it "Manuka" instead.

I've seen Manuka honey for sale for years for $20 a lb. and always felt we were paying by the mile since it comes from New Zealand. Instinctively I felt that it was not inherently more healthful than other honeys.

I decided to do some research. In general most raw honeys have about the same nutritional content and benefit. However, it was true that certain components of Manuka were in higher concentrations. I also found that Manuka and Maleleuca were in the same family.

They are both members of the TEA TREE family. Yes, the same family of trees that bring us Tea Tree Oil, well documented as having antimicrobial, antibacterial and antifungal properties.

However, the Tea Tree family tree has several members, and Manuka and Malaleuca each stemmed from different family, well, "tree". Both Malaleuca and Manuka belong to the Myrtaceae family, along with Eucalyptus, Clove and Myrtle. But Manuka stems from the Leptospermum side of the family. Some feel that this "New Zealand Tea Tree" is the original tea tree used by Captain Cook when he arrived in New Zealand. It is often used medicinally in the same way as other tea tree oils, although it is more drying to the skin. People use it in a carrier oil to treat muscle pain and rheumatism.

However, this part of the family lacks the amazing immunity enhancing powers of Melaleuca alternifolia. So…some would feel the Malaleuca would have more benefit.

Either way, honey is awesome for you. And we can battle on and on as to which "tea tree" makes the most healthful honey. But I can tell you this…..we've got plenty of Malaleuca in our recent honey harvest. It's half the price of Manuka, since we didn't have to transport it thousands of miles.

It's LOCAL! So give us a call and come try some yourself. You be the judge!