New Zealand is famous for Manuka honey — and rightly so. But the country's native forests produce a remarkable range of other monofloral honeys, each with its own distinct flavour, colour, and character. These are honeys that can only come from New Zealand, harvested from flowers that bloom in remote valleys, coastal headlands, and ancient beech forests.
At Mountain Gold, we're proud to offer a curated selection of these rare native varieties alongside our UMF-certified Manuka range. Here's your guide to each one.
What Is a Monofloral Honey?
A monofloral honey is produced when bees forage predominantly from a single flower species. The result is a honey with a distinctive flavour profile, aroma, and colour that reflects that specific plant. New Zealand's geographic isolation and diverse native flora make it one of the world's great sources of monofloral honey.
Rewarewa Honey
Rewarewa (Knightia excelsa) is a tall native tree found throughout the North Island and upper South Island. Its striking crimson flowers are a favourite of tūī and kererū — and of bees.
Rewarewa honey is one of New Zealand's most distinctive varieties: deep reddish-amber in colour with a rich, malty flavour and a slight bitterness that lingers pleasantly. It's often compared to molasses or dark caramel, with a complexity that surprises first-time tasters.
Best enjoyed: On a cheese board, paired with aged cheddar or blue cheese, or stirred into a dark roast coffee.
Kamahi Honey
Kamahi (Weinmannia racemosa) is one of New Zealand's most common native trees, forming dense forests across the South Island and parts of the North Island. It produces abundant nectar in late spring and early summer, making it a reliable and beloved honey variety.
Kamahi honey is pale gold to amber, with a smooth, buttery texture and a mild, sweet flavour with subtle floral notes. It's one of the most approachable native honeys — universally loved and endlessly versatile.
Best enjoyed: As an everyday table honey, in baking, or drizzled over fresh fruit and yoghurt.
Pohutukawa Honey
Mountain Gold Pohutukawa Honey
The Pohutukawa (Metrosideros excelsa) is New Zealand's iconic Christmas tree, its brilliant crimson flowers blooming along coastal cliffs and beaches in December. It's deeply woven into New Zealand culture — and its honey is equally special.
Pohutukawa honey is light and delicate, with a pale cream colour and a subtle, slightly salty coastal character. It's one of the rarest honeys in the range, as the trees only flower for a short window each summer and are often found in hard-to-reach coastal locations.
Best enjoyed: Spread on fresh bread, paired with soft cheeses, or taken straight from the spoon to appreciate its delicate flavour.
Southern Rata Honey
Mountain Gold Southern Rata Honey
Southern Rata (Metrosideros umbellata) is a close relative of Pohutukawa, found in the high-rainfall forests of the South Island's West Coast and Fiordland. Its vivid red flowers light up the forest canopy in summer, and the honey they produce is equally vibrant.
Rata honey is light golden in colour with a clean, fresh sweetness and a mild floral finish. Like Pohutukawa, it's rare and seasonal — a true collector's honey.
Best enjoyed: In herbal teas, on porridge, or as a gift for someone who appreciates something truly special.
Tawari Honey
Tawari (Ixerba brexioides) is a small native tree found only in the northern North Island — making its honey one of New Zealand's rarest. It flowers in spring, producing creamy white blossoms that bees adore.
Tawari honey is prized for its exceptional flavour: pale, almost white in colour, with a rich butterscotch and vanilla character that is unlike any other honey in the world. It's considered a gourmet delicacy and is highly sought after by honey connoisseurs.
Best enjoyed: On its own, straight from the jar — this honey deserves to be tasted without distraction.
Kanuka Honey
Kanuka (Kunzea ericoides) is often confused with Manuka — they're closely related and frequently grow side by side. But Kanuka honey has its own distinct character: lighter in colour, milder in flavour, and with a clean, fresh sweetness.
Kanuka honey also contains beneficial compounds, including antibacterial properties, though at lower levels than Manuka. It's an excellent everyday honey with a gentle wellness benefit.
Best enjoyed: In tea, on toast, or as a daily spoonful for general wellbeing.
Beech Honeydew Honey
Mountain Gold Honeydew Beech Honey
Beech Honeydew is unlike any other honey in this collection — because it doesn't come from flower nectar at all. Instead, bees collect the sweet secretions of scale insects (Ultracoelostoma spp.) that feed on the sap of native beech trees (Nothofagus spp.) in the South Island's beech forests.
The result is a dark, almost black honey with a rich, malty, slightly woody flavour and a lower sweetness than floral honeys. It's exceptionally high in oligosaccharides (prebiotic compounds) and minerals, making it a favourite among health-conscious honey lovers.
Best enjoyed: In cooking, marinades, and dressings, or paired with strong cheeses and charcuterie.
Explore the Full Native Collection
Can't choose just one? Our Native NZ Honey Collection brings together these extraordinary varieties in one place. We also offer a Native Honey Luxury Selection Gift Pack — the perfect introduction to New Zealand's native honey diversity, and a truly memorable gift.
Why Native NZ Honeys Are So Special
New Zealand's native honeys are rare for a reason. Many of the trees that produce them flower only briefly each year, in remote and often inaccessible locations. The country's geographic isolation means these plant species — and the honeys they produce — exist nowhere else on earth.
When you choose a native New Zealand honey, you're tasting a place as much as a flavour: ancient forests, coastal cliffs, mountain valleys, and the unique ecology of Aotearoa.
Explore our full range of native New Zealand honeys or get in touch if you'd like help choosing.