Basil That Went to Seed, Went to the Bees for Basil Honey!

Normally when my basil or cilantro bolts and goes to seed, I feel like I did not use it enough. By not pruning it by clipping stems to use in a summer gazpacho or pesto, I wasted it. Not so, thinks this honey bee, who found the white flower sprouting from the basil and took its nectar. Longtime bee enthusiasts may not be surprised by this source of food for the honeybee, but this new gardener had not considered a bolted herb to be such a treat.

A backyard honey bee pursuing the flower from basil.

Throughout our backyard are butterfly bushes and other flowering bushes that we planted there purposefully to feed the bees. Recently we decided to not poison the clover and to let bees take from the clover, thereby risking our bare feet in the grass!

Curious about honey basil, however, I sent over a note to Deb Davidovits, the beekeeper and founder of Beacon Bee. You have seen her lip balm, honey and other bee based products in stores like Beacon Natural Market or at events like the Beacon Jazz Festival, which is where I spotted her. It was at the Beacon Jazz Festival that I learned of her honey that was flavored by the black locust trees in the spring, so I asked her about basil honey. She had tasted thyme honey, which she said was delicious, and lavender honey, but not basil honey.

Deborah Davidovits, founder of Beacon Bee at her stand at Beacon Jazz Fest.

Is basil honey possible? Says Deb: "If a beekeeper places hives in the middle of a field of apple trees, where there is nothing but apple trees for acres in any direction, and the apples are known to be blooming while the bees are there, it will for sure be apple blossom honey."

I felt very lucky to have seen this bee at my basil, because I will never clip that flower again so that the honey bees can use it. And then Deb described this feeling perfectly as she reflected about being a beekeeper: "Part of what I love about being a beekeeper is how much I am learning about seasonal changes, effects of the weather, what plants are around me and when they bloom, etc.  In general, becoming more aware of the natural world and how magnificent it is!" Deb has an insightful blog in which she explores what it means to be a beekeeper, and shares some amazing photos, like how to wear bees - in your beard!