The most important sources of nectar are
the flowers of plants in the bean family,
especially clover, and in the lettuce family, a
large group that includes the sunflower,
dandelion, and thistles. Though most honey is
made from a mixture of nectars from different
flowers, some 300 different “monofloral”
honeys are produced in the world, with citrus,
chestnut, buckwheat, and lavender honeys
especially valued for their distinctive tastes.
Some honeys, chestnut and buckwheat in
particular, are much darker than others, thanks
in part to the higher protein content in their
nectars, which reacts with the sugars to
produce dark pigments as well as a toasted
aroma.
Gathering Nectar The bee gathers nectar from
a flower by inserting its long proboscis down
into the nectary. In the process, its hairy body
picks up pollen from the flower’s anthers. The
nectar passes through the bee’s esophagus into