Boneset Honey

n late summer, the banks of the Bazos behind our house exploded with white Boneset blooms.   Most everything else had shriveled in the Texas heat.  Everywhere we looked,  Boneset blossoms were covered in honeybees. We had taken most of the honey just before the Boneset started blooming.  We wanted Boneset honey, but timing was important.  We needed to get the honey before Broomweed started blooming (many prople say Broomwood honey has a foul taste). We took about 12 pounds.  The Boneset honey is much darker and richer than honey from earlier harvests.  To me, the taste is herbal and fragrant.  Very, very nice.  We are calling it 'Special Reserve Dark'. 

The medicinal value of Boneset has been know for several hundred years.  Before aspirin, Boneset was used to break fevers and relieve aches.  Native Americans use Boneset to treat "Bone-Break Fever" (Dengue) as well as other fevers, colds, arthritis, and rheumatism.  One variety of Boneset is called Joe Pye Weed after a Native American (called Joe Pye) used leaves to induce profuse sweating and thus cured a New Englander of Typhus.