January 4, 2026
Buzz with a side of drama
The baffling purple honey found only in North Carolina
Kudzu sorcery or soda-dye scandal? Commenters are buzzing
TLDR: A rare purple honey appears in North Carolina's Sandhills, baffling experts and selling out fast. Commenters are split between romantic kudzu folklore and skeptical “check the candy factories” theories, citing past cases of dyed honey; the debate matters because it highlights how fragile and mysterious local ecosystems—and food sources—can be.
North Carolina’s Sandhills just dropped the ultimate limited-edition flex: a rare, aubergine-purple honey that shows up only when the bees feel like it. Dees Bees Apiary sells out fast, with tiny jars hitting $75, which had the thread joking it’s a “mystery flavor” collab and a Willy Wonka bee moment. But the comments aren’t just sweet—they’re spicy.
One camp is swooning over the magic of the land—endangered woodpeckers, longleaf pines, and maybe kudzu flowers giving the syrup its glow. The other camp is side-eyeing hard: Borrible drops a “Kudzu? Or industrial waste?” and links the infamous French case of blue/green honey traced to candy plant waste Reuters. Two4 piles on: “Any soft drink plants nearby?” while chasil cools the vibe with “mundane sources” via NPR. Paulorlando reminds everyone of Brooklyn’s red honey saga, where bees reportedly slurped maraschino cherry syrup.
Cue drama: romantics vs. cynics. The romantics want to believe in hydrangea-like soil magic and wild berries; the skeptics want water samples and plant audits, stat. dabluecaboose throws a wholesome curveball, likening it to the citizen discovery of synchronous fireflies—maybe this is another backyard marvel. Meanwhile, the meme crowd is calling them “grape soda bees” and treating mid-July updates like a sneaker drop. Purple honey: part folklore, part forensics, 100% comment section chaos.
Key Points
- •Purple honey appears sporadically in North Carolina’s Sandhills region, and its cause remains unknown.
- •Local theories for the purple hue include soil alkalinity, wild berries, and the invasive kudzu vine, but none are confirmed.
- •The Sandhills region is a distinctive ecological area with outdoor attractions including Pinehurst Golf Resort, Southern Pines trails, and the Drowning Creek route.
- •Dees Bees Apiary in Aberdeen sells purple honey when available and provides updates via Facebook from mid-July.
- •Pricing reflects rarity: $16.50 for 900g of raw honey, and $75 for an 85g jar of purple honey.