We are a boutique bee apiary in Portola Valley, California. Located at an elevation of 1,350 feet in the Santa Cruz Mountains, we offer unusual varietal honey from native flora in small batches.
Our bees rely mainly on native plants to produce their honey. We have had the honey analyzed for many years and it comes predominantly from poison oak and wild lilac with other local native plants contributing varying amounts depending on the year. The poison oak honey (which contains none of the oil that causes allergic reactions) imparts a unique fragrant quality that is rarely found in other honey.
We extract and bottle our honey on site without pasteurization or additives. You can find our honey only at Portola Valley Hardware.
Western Poison oak (Toxicodendron diversilobum) is a California native and is widespread in the Santa Cruz Mountains to the point that it is the dominant groundcover in many preserves and open spaces. Despite its name, poison oak is not a true oak. In open areas under full sunlight, poison oak forms a dense, leafy shrub usually 1 to 6 feet high. In shaded areas, such as in coastal redwoods and oak woodlands, it grows as a climbing vine, up to 75 feet or more, supporting itself on other vegetation or upright objects using its aerial roots and stems that can reach 4 inches in diameter.
Poison oak can cause allergic contact dermatitis in humans. The allergy is caused by the oil urushiol which is found in the stems, roots, leaves of the plant. Poison Oak has small, inconspicuous whitish or greenish-yellow flower clusters, often overlooked among the leaves. The flower buds appear early in the spring shortly after new leaves emerge. Urushiol is not found in the flowers or nectar. Poison oak adds a light floral complexity with citrusy highlights to honey.
California wild lilac (Ceanothus spp.) are native shrubs endemic to the Santa Cruz Mountains, with approximately 30 species and numerous subspecies and varieties found across the state. In the local region, the plants generally range from small shrubs to large, tree-like bushes that can reach up to 20 feet high.
While their evergreen foliage can be relatively non-descript for much of the year, they put on a spectacular display for a few weeks in early spring. During this time, they produce dense clusters of abundant blossoms ranging from deep cobalt blue to pure white, dramatically enhancing the hillsides and valleys with bursts of vibrant color. These flowers are also highly fragrant and are very attractive to bees. Wild lilac adds a subtle floral note with exquisite texture to honey.
In most years, Chestnut (Castanea sp.) appears on our honey analysis in relatively small amounts. Chestnut trees are not native to California, but over 100 years ago, an intrepid settler planted an orchard on Skyline Boulevard Skyline Chestnuts. However, this location is almost 6 miles away and is unlikely to be the source. We have recently verified a grove of Chestnut trees less than a mile away. (True Chestnut should not be confused with the California native Buckeye (Aesculus californica) often called “Horse Chestnut”.)
Chestnut blossoms are highly attractive to bees and the resulting honey is a medium amber color and displays a slightly woody, smoky, molasses profile. Chestnut honey from the US is considered exceedingly rare. In some years, our late season harvest will result in a honey that is predominately Chestnut.