Hello Gardeners, I’m Amanda McNulty with Clemson Extension and Making It Grow. We’ve talked about how incredibly tolerant yaupon holly, Ilex vomitoria is. From compacted clay soils, to beach sands, it grows fine and is very drought tolerant, too. So it’s no surprise that it grows densely and intensely in some parts of central Texas. Enterprising beekeepers there pay attention to when it blooms and put their hives nearby to collect nectar from the small but prolific white female flowers.
Again, just like those wine snobs, bee keepers have a spin on their honey. This one is highly regarded with hints of vegetal notes (vegetal means tastes like plants) and is reminiscent of iced tea. The spin is that is pairs well with corn bread, with yogurt and berries or drizzled over apples or cantaloupe and just right to flavor a cup of hot tea in the morning. Honey has come a long way from Sue Bee!