Dandelions yield surprisingly beneficial honey and are quite pollinator-friendly. Popping up through bare dirt and cracks in concrete, each spring the oh-so recognizable rosettes of the brazen, jagged-toothed dandelion make their appearance. Often considered invasive, dandelions are in fact the source of many potent herbal remedies.

These early-season, deep-rooted growers make me happy for myself and for the bees. The bright yellow flowers are one of the first available food sources for pollinators. So it’s ironic that these native, medicinal plants are considered a “weed” to many a green-grass-growing lawnkeeper—especially given that common turf grasses like bluegrass and fescue are actually insidiously invasive, non-blooming, and not nutritional.

Here are some facts about the humble, oft-disparaged dandelion that we hope will help you see them in a new light:

Good for bees

Unsprayed dandelions are an abundant food for pollinators when they first emerge, hungry after a long, inactive winter. When those yellow flowery faces appear, the hives start to grow, thanks quickly to this early source of nectar and pollen.

Good for people

All parts of the dandelion have nutritional and medicinal value, as long as they haven’t been sprayed with insecticides or herbicides.

• The root is considered a detoxifying tonic for the liver and kidneys and is high in antioxidants. It can be dug up any time of year—though spring roots are best—and dried for use in tisanes (herbal tea), tinctures, or pill form. Some even use it as a coffee substitute.
• The leaves are full of vitamins A, B, C, E, and K; minerals such as calcium, iron, and manganese; and dietary fiber. These greens are said to aid in detoxification, support healthy digestion, improve skin, strengthen bones, reduce inflammation, and regulate blood pressure. They can be harvested throughout the year, though the early leaves, prior to blooming, are the tastiest, tenderest, and least bitter. The greens can be steeped for drinking, added fresh to salads or pesto, or wilted into soups or stir-fries. 
• The flowers, before going to seed, can be picked for the joy of it (leave some for the bees!), and also for tisanes, cordials, pancakes, salads, and wine.

What is dandelion honey?

Dandelion honey is produced when bees collect nectar primarily from dandelion flowers. This early-season honey has a distinctive, bright, bold flavor with a slight tang and a beautiful golden color.

While pure dandelion honey can be challenging to harvest due to the short bloom period, dandelion-infused herbal honey combines the medicinal properties of the whole dandelion plant with raw honey to create a potent herbal remedy.

Our Dandelion Red Clover Burdock Herbal Honey captures the detoxifying benefits of spring dandelions, red clover, and burdock. Unlike regular honey, raw herbal-infused honey allows you to access the full medicinal properties of the plant year-round.

How to use dandelion herbal honey

Our Dandelion Red Clover Burdock Herbal Honey is a powerhouse detox blend that combines three traditional cleansing herbs in raw Montana honey. This herbal-infused honey harnesses the liver-supporting properties of dandelion root and leaves, the skin-purifying benefits of burdock root, and the hormone-balancing compounds of red clover.

Herbal honey uses include:

• Take one tablespoon each morning as a daily tonic during the spring cleansing season
• Stir into warm (not boiling) herbal tea or tisanes to preserve beneficial enzymes
• Mix with warm water and lemon for a simple detox drink
• Drizzle over oatmeal or yogurt for a nutritious breakfast
• Use in salad dressings to add both sweetness and herbal benefits

Because our dandelion herbal honey contains root infusions, it sits for 3-6 months to fully extract the medicinal compounds. The roots take longer than flowers or leaves, resulting in a deeply therapeutic product. This traditional method of creating herb-infused honey preserves both the raw honey's beneficial enzymes and the herbs' medicinal properties without heat processing.

Herbal honey benefits

Using raw herbal honey on a regular basis can support natural detoxification pathways, promote healthy skin from within, and provide the antioxidant-rich properties of both raw honey and medicinal herbs.

Other herbal honey blends

Beyond our dandelion blend, herbal-infused honey offers endless possibilities for combining medicinal herbs with raw honey's preservative and therapeutic properties. Popular herbal honey varieties include the following:

• Elderberry for immune support
• Chamomile for relaxation
• Turmeric for inflammation
• Ginger for digestion

Each herb-infused honey undergoes a unique extraction period depending on the plant material used—delicate flowers may require only weeks, while dense roots may require months. This ancient preservation method creates shelf-stable herbal remedies that are both effective and delicious, making it easy to incorporate medicinal plants into your daily wellness routine. 

Dandelions are a sign of spring in Montana

In Western Montana, if it's spring, then we've just begun to see those spiky green fingers poking up through the dirt again, and it’s putting a big smile on my face. The first dandelions are a sign that soon I’ll be spending time in the garden, digging my fingers into the dirt, and back among the bees, reconnecting with the sprouting, blooming world after a long winter. Before long, we'll be picking fresh herbs for next season’s honey.

Shop the array of Hindu Hillbilly Herbal Honey from Montana, or shop our most popular, sustainably produced Raw Montana Wildflower Honey.