Types of honey by flower source and flavor; and where to get them

Below is the most complete master list of types of honey available anywhere! We explain where each honey comes from. describe its flavor, color, uses and even health properties, and show you where to get it!

Honey gets its color, flavor and odor from the nectar of flowers visited by the bees that made the honey. So, there are literally as many types of honey as their are different types of flowers. It is estimated that there are more than 300 unique types of honey commercially available in the United States. That said, there are certain types of honey that stand out for their superb flavor or medicinal qualities. We'll explain in the table below which types of honey are best for each purpose.

If you'd like to order online, you will find we have chosen the highest rated types and brands of honey available, at the best prices available. We constantly review and revise this list.

Other Attributes

Colors of honey

Honey is typically an amber shade and translucent, but it can range from almost clear to dark brown. In general, lighter-colored honeys have milder flavor, while darker-colored honey have stronger flavors.

Seasonal Variations

Keep in mind that honey is a bit like fine wine: seasonal variations, climate, soils, etc. affect the flavor of the nectar in the flowers, and thus the honey, too.

So even honey from the same hives in the same location, visiting the same plants can vary from year to year, or even throughout the season.

"Flavored" honey

Most honey is naturally flavored, with the flavor, as described on the label, like "Orange Blossom Honey", coming from the flavor of the flowers from which the bees collect the nectar.  A more recent trend is to add flavor extracts (natural or artificial) to honey to give it a flavor.  We have NOT included artificially flavored honey in our list below.

Health claims

It seams everyone selling honey makes claims, often outlandish and ridiculous claims, about the health benefits of their honey.  But there are some documented health benefits to honey.  The honeys derived from tea Trees, and similar, like Manuka have been show to have a positive anti-bacterial effect that helps wounds heal.  Similarly, raw, local honey contains local pollen grains, which have also been shown in reputable studies to assist with seasonal allergies.

Name	Color	Description and Flavor	Typically from	Kitchen uses	Unusual health or medicinal properties	Where to purchase online
Acacia honey	light amber	Acacia honey is very sweet neutral flavor with a high concentration of fructose, and low sucrose level,	Black Locust trees in Europe and North America.	Used in tea	anti inflammatory, improves liver function, and helps digestive tract	Click here for this honey on Amazon
Alfalfa honey	white or light amber	Mild sweet neutral flavor	Everywhere	Everyday uses		Click here for this honey on Amazon
Apple Blossom	light to medium amber.	Light apple flavor.	Washington State, Oregon, Michigan, Virginia, Italy			Click here for this honey on Amazon
Avocado honey	darker amber	Rich, buttery taste.	California, Texas, Florida	Used in salad dressings and sauces		Click here for this honey on Amazon
Bamboo honey		Yes, even bamboo produce flowers that bees pollinate!	America, Asia			Click here for this honey on Amazon
Basswood Honey	Whitish	Basswood is a tree native and abundant in Wisconsin, which is also known as the Linden tree. The honey from its flowers is watery consistency with a strong, biting taste.Basswood / Linden tree blossoms.	Northern US, Manitoba, Canada, Germany			Click here for this honey on Amazon
Beechwood honey, (aka, Honeydew honey)		Beechwood honey is sourced from New Zealand.  It is an extraordinary varietal that comes from the sap produced by aphids on the bark of beechwood trees and collected by bees. An aromatic, dark amber honey, it is often mixed into smoothies, sauces, and used as sweet drizzle for pancakes and fruits. This honey is also a popular supplement for improving the body's immunity and digestive system.	New Zealand's South Island.			Click here for this honey on Amazon
Blackberry honey	very light amber	A light, sweet aroma.	Most areas, grown throughout the US and Canada			Click here for this honey on Amazon
Blueberry honey	light amber to amber-colored	Beautiful sweet flavor with the taste of blueberries	From blueberry flowers, grown throughout the US and Canada	toast, teas, sauces and baking.		Click here for this honey on Amazon
Buckwheat Honey	very dark, like molasses	Buckwheat honey has a very strong flavor and  a lingering aftertaste.   Buckwheat Honey is said to have the highest concentration of antioxidants and is good for coughs and colds. Color and taste like molasses. It is also good to put on wounds for healing purposes	Illinois, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania Oregon, South Dakota, West Virginia, Washington State and Wisconsin.from buckwheat flowers. Globally, China was the leading buckwheat producer in 2011, followed by Poland, Brazil, and Russia,	Making BBQ sauce, baking, mead and breads	rich in iron, and has more antioxidants	Click here for this honey on Amazon
Canola honey., a.k.a, Rapeseed honey, Rapsflower Honig	white to light amber	Very delicate flavor with low acidity. Crystallizes easily. Canola is a species of rapeseed. Canola honey is about 80% of Canadian honey sales. Honey from Canola does crystalize much more rapidly than other honey.	Canada, U.K., Germany, France			Click here for this honey on Amazon
Chestnut Honey	dark, almost brown	strong nutty, spicy flavor n Italy. It possesses a unique aroma and some of its varietals are reported to taste bitter. This amber-color honey is mildly sweet and its low Glycemic Index makes it a honey suitable for diabetics. Get the full account in: Seriously Italian: Chestnut Honey.	chestnut tree flowers (popular in Italy)			Click here for this honey on Amazon
Clover Honey	white to light amber	A very popular honey that is widely available from the nectar from the  white clover blossom.  Clover honey is ideal for baking and kitchen. It has a mild flavor with a slight tangy aftertaste. Pretty bland...	anywhere and everywhere, by far the most commonly produced honey on the planet	Baking and general cooking		Click here for this honey on Amazon
Coffee honey	dark amber, almost brown	Coffee honey has a rich, deep coffee-toned flavor. Coffee blossom honey is darker in color. It actually does not taste much like coffee, but it has a caramel flavor with earthy notes. Coffee blossom honey does have trace amounts of caffeine, which comes from the flower nectar. One study found that this caffeine in the nectar actually improves the honeybees' memory,	Coffee growing areas (Columbia, Ecuador, Mexico, Hawaii, Guatemala, etc.)	It can be difficult to find!
Cotton honey	medium amber	Made from the visiting the flavors of cotton plants, it doesn't taste light cotton, but rather has a complex flavor with both sweetness and tartness, unique and delicious	Cotton growing areas (south Georgia, MS, AL, LA, TX etc.)		Click here for this honey on Amazon	Click here for this honey on Amazon
Dandelion honey	dark amber	Strong flavored honey with the distinctive smell of dandelions	New Zealand's South Island,	wide use	Considered to have a broad range of healing properties in China, Tibet and India	Click here for this honey on Amazon
Eucalyptus Honey	amber, but can vary	As you would expect from the source, it has an herbal flavor .	Australia, Italy, California	Popular in tea	Said to help with headaches and colds	Click here for this honey on Amazon
Fireweed honey	light amber	A complex, buttery  flavor and a slightly buttery texture.	Canada, and the Pacific Northwest, Ukraine, Russia, Georgia. Difficult to find	paired with meats, often used in  marinades, glazes,		Click here for this honey on Amazon
Gallberry Honey	light to medium-light amber	Mild to medium in flavor. The Gallberry Bush blooms in May.	The low flatlands of North Carolina, Georgia and Northern Florida.			Click here for this honey on Amazon
Goldenrod honey	light amber	Strong wildflower flavor, almost bitter, not the most popular honey. Goldenrod blooms in late summer and Fall, when other plants have stopped flowering, so it is an important food source for bees.	Everywhere in North America		Click here for this honey on Amazon	Click here for this honey on Amazon
Heather honey	dark amber	Slightly bitter strong flavor, goes well with Scotch whiskey	Scotland, Greece, Spain			Click here for this honey on Amazon
Huckleberry  honey	dark amber	Full, strong flavor				Click here for this honey on Amazon
Key Lime honey	Light amber	Light, sweet honey with a flavor of key limes. Key limes drow only in the Florida keys and a few other places.  They are a lime with a bit of a lemon and orange flavor to them.	Key West, Florida			Click here for this honey on Amazon
Lavender honey	medium amber	It has the scent of lavender, medium sweetness  lavender scented, and has a medium amber color.				Click here for this honey on Amazon
Leatherwood honey		a type of eucalyptus honey with the unique strong, spicy flavor.	south-west of Tasmania,	cakes, muffins, coffee and tea. I		Click here for this honey on Amazon
Linden honey	light yellow amber	A light, delicate, woody flavor	Denmark	Good with teas	reported to have sedative and antiseptic qualities and the treatment of colds, cough and bronchitis.	Click here for this honey on Amazon
Macadamia Nut honey	dark amber	a sweet, distinctive nut flavor	Australia and United States	paired with marinades for grilled meats, fruit and vegetable salads, ice-cream, toasts and herbal tea		Click here for this honey on Amazon
Manuka Honey	medium amber	A very expensive honey, touted by Dr. Oz as being used as medicine to heal wounds. Manuka honey has a taste that is quite tart and string.  It isn't used for eating.	New Zealand’s Manuka tree	Not usually eaten	antibacterial properties, said to be able to combat infections like MRSA	Click here for this honey on Amazon
Maple honey	medium amber	Has the aroma of maple trees in bloom, with a sweet almost medicinal scent to it.  Maple Blossom Honey is only available during the earliest days of spring from the blossoms of big leaf maple trees.	Where ever stands of maple trees grow	Teas, fruit, pancakes, cheeses, crisp apples, nuts,		Click here for this honey on Amazon a
Orange Blossom	light to medium amber	A wonderful sweet honey with the noticeable flavor of the orange blossoms from which it comes! Produced in Floridaduring the bloom of the citrus trees in late Fall.	Florida, Texas, California, Brazil	a great table honey, teas, baking		Click here for this honey on Amazon
Palmetto honey, a.k.a Saw Palmetto honey	light amber	A  mild flavored honey				Click here for this honey on Amazon
Pinetree honey	medium amber	A bitter, less sweet honey from Greece, does not crystallize easily. Also called forest honey, fir honey, honeydew or tea tree honey, obviously from the spring blossoms of pine trees.	Greece			Click here for this honey on Amazon
Pumpkin honey	dark amber	Harvested annually in the Autumn when the pumpkins have bloomed, it actually does not taste like pumpkins but has a light aromatic flavor.  It has a squash flavor (not like pumpkin spice). It is mildly sweet with the aroma of squash.. Pumpkin honey is one of the rarest of honeys, used for cooking, baking, canning, marinades, sauces, and dressings	Oregon	desserts, or paired with savory or spicy foods
Purple Star thistle honey	light to medium light amber	Purple Starthistle is an invasive annual plant that blooms in summer. The honey has an unusual  mild pleasant taste.				Click here for this honey on Amazon
Rainforest honey	light amber	A  light fresh, floral scent with a flavor that can vary widely, deepening upon the source of the nectar.	from the rainforests of Brazil, Australia, Tasmania, Thailand, the US,	Balanced with wide use	Click here for this honey on Amazon	Click here for this honey on Amazon
Rapeseed honey	white to yellowish	Rapeseed honey aka rape honey, Color: , white. After crystallization the honey is whitish or dull ivory. Aroma: floral - fresh fruit (fruity), warm, spoiled and vegetal Intensity of odor: medium Acidity: weak Sweetness: low. Honeys, like acacia, with high fructose content are sweeter than those with high glucose content.				Click here for this honey on Amazon
Raspberry honey	light amber	Raspberry - It has a slight raspberry flavor, and it will crystallize quickly, so its usually made into a creamed honey that has a light color.				Click here for this honey on Amazon
Rata honey	light pale amber	Rata honey has a mild, delicate flavor that crystallizes easily.	West coast of New Zealand's South Island			Click here for this honey on Amazon
Rosemary Honey	light yellow	It has a strong sweet flavor	anywhere rosemary is grown, commonly from France		Said to assist with liver function, digestion, high blood pressure, and gout.	Click here for this honey on Amazon
Safflower honey	medium to very dark amber	The flavor is described as herbal with hints of citrus.
Sage honey	white or water-white	Sweet with hints of sage	anywhere sage is grown	often served with cheese		Click here for this honey on Amazon
Saw Palmetto	medium amber	The saw palmetto, a miniature palm tree, produces fruit once a year, from the profuse flowers, which the bees visit.	Florida			Click here for this honey on Amazon
Sourwood Honey	very light amber	Sourwood honey does not have a sour taste. It is spicy and sweet, like a buttery or caramel flavor.  Sourwood is a tree that grows 40 to 60 feet and blooms from late June through July.	America, from sourwood trees in the Appalachian Mountains  (Northern Georgia up to Southern Pennsylvania) and from Brazil		Just exaggerated claims, not substantiated.	Click here for this honey on Amazon
Star Thistle Honey	light gold in color	The star thistle produces a floral tasting, thick, light-colored honey, with an almond scent. The star thistle plant comes in purple, yellow, and red varieties. Star thistles are part of the Centaurea genus. The thistle produces a lot of nectar which makes it great for honey production. The purple spotted knapweed variety is very common and it begins to bloom and mid-summer, and continues into the autumn.	Originally from Europe, it spread across the U.S.
Sunflower honey	light, yellow-white	Sunflower necttar produces a light, yellow-white honey, sweet with a delicate flavor	Anywhere in the U.S., Canada, Germany, France, etc.			Click here for this honey on Amazon
Tualang Honey	medium amber	It is claimed to contains more nutrients & minerals than Manuka Honey. Tualang Honey has one of the lowest glycemic index in honey, despite its savory sweet taste. Eating it does not spike your blood sugar levels as much as other honey. It has half the GI of table sugar and even lower than white bread, making it the perfect, super healthy alternative for table sugar and can be easily incorporated into any diet or recipe. Tualang Honey contains the highest amount of antioxidants & anti-inflammatory agents in honey.  It is so potent that 1 teaspoon of Tualang honey is equivalent to 1 tablespoon of regular raw honey. It improves cardiovascular health, stimulates fast wound healing, reduces scarring and is extremely effective against persistent coughs & sore throats or other viral-borne diseases.	Malaysia, New Zealand		Tualang honey is said to contain 11 powerhouse phenolics and flavonoids plus other beneficial enzymes that promotes anti-aging and longevity of your organs.  It improves cardiovascular health, stimulates fast wound healing, reduces scarring and is extremely effective against persistent coughs & sore throats or other viral-borne diseases.	Click here for this honey on Amazon
Tulip Poplar honey	dark amber	Medium and robust flavor. Dark honeys are usually due to high mineral content.  The Tulip poplar blooms from late April into May.	Tulip poplar, sometimes known as Yellow Poplar, is a tree that grows to over 100 feet tall, and is found in Eastern U.S. deciduous woods			Click here for this honey on Amazon
Tupelo honey	light amber	A light,  balanced flavor.  Tupelo honey is very sought after.	The Tupelo tree grows in the swamps and along river banks in South Georgia and Florida. Also called Swamp Gum or Tupelo Gum.			Click here for this honey on Amazon
Wildflower honey	medium amber	The flavor depends upon the flowers that are in bloom and is typically light and fruity	Worldwide, as this is from ANY flowers, anywhere. It really just means the bees go to a variety of flowers		Click here for this honey on Amazon	Click here for this honey on Amazon