Raw knotweed honey is also called raw bamboo honey. Raw honey has not been heated and simply filtered through a large mesh screen. The screen removes larger particles and allows pollen, propolis and beeswax particles to pass through it. Bamboo honey comes from the Japanese Knotweed plant which is found in 39 of the 50 states.
This plant is considered a very invasive weed. In the U.S.A. it is listed as an invasive weed in Ohio, Vermont, Virginia, New York and Washington states.
Other English names for Japanese knotweed include fleeceflower, Hancock's curse, elephant ears, pea shooters, donkey rhubarb (although it is not a rhubarb), sally rhubarb, Japanese bamboo, American bamboo, and Mexican bamboo. Japanese knotweed flowers are valued by some beekeepers as an important source of nectar for honeybees, at a time of year when little else is flowering.
Japanese knotweed yields a monofloral honey, usually called bamboo honey by northeastern U.S. beekeepers, like a mild-flavored version of buckwheat honey. This honey is a very dark honey and also has a pleasant sweet taste to it.
Please read our
Honey Description Page to learn more.
