Rhododendron ponticum honey is poisonous. Don't know about azaleas, but I would find out if I were thinking about this.

All rhododendron and azalea nectar contains the toxins: grayanotoxins (formerly known as andromedotoxin, acetylandromedol, and rhodotoxin), arbutin glucoside.

The symptoms of excessive doses of these toxins are: stomach irritation, abdominal pain, abnormal heart rate and rhythm, convulsions, coma, death.

Poisonings frequently occur due to rhododendron and azalea honey in Turkey and occasionally occur in other places such as Korea and on the west coast of the US.

In India, they use rhododendron and azalea honey to treat high blood pressure. Rhododendron honey from Italy is even sold in the US under the name Mitica Rhododendron Honey. It behaves much as digitalis (foxglove) and can be either medicinal if used properly or lethal if not treated properly.

Here is a link that might be useful: Toxicity of Rhododendrons and Azaleas to People and Animals

No offense but that seems like a lot of regurgitated bull to me. Sure are azaleas poisonous yes, but there are a myrad of bee keepers all over the south and if they were downright toxic to the point of death as one of your viable options then there would have been hundreds if not multiple thousands of deaths so far. Sounds like another one to me the department of agriculture and a college like LSU, A&M, Clemson, UF, or UGA should get a hold of and actually check for validity.

If you go the link above and check out the documented cases from the University of Pennsylvania, the Province of Alberta, Purdue University, the US Food & Drug Administration, Istanbul University, European Society of Cardiology, Journal of the American Rhododendron Society, Cornell Veterinary School, and many more you will understand the toxicity. It is in all parts of rhododendrons and azaleas including the pollen. However, the amount is highly variable from variety to variety. The species Rhododendron ponticum is one to the most toxic and has many well document cases but they are in Eurasia where R. ponticum grows. Jenkins Arboretum in Pennsylvania specializes in rhododendrons and azaleas and also raises honey bees and sell honey. However, to be cautious, they use the honey produced during rhododendron and azalea bloom season for the bees in winter and not for human consumption. They only sell honey produced during other times. People sensitive to heart palpitations can be seriously affected if the honey is from a more toxic variety. In India, Cardiologists use honey produced from certain rhododendron pollens therapeutically. Germans in Bremen have done considerable research on this and are also finding antibiotics are looking for anti-cancer drugs.

So, should I worry about my honey if I have azaleas, or just if I have huge concentrations of azaleas and not much else? Thank you. We have a 15 acre property and were planning to put in a few dozen azaleas.

Laura,

The honey produced during azalea bloom season could harm people with heart problems and even a healthy person. I would do like Jenkins Arboretum does, use the honey produced during azalea bloom season for the bees in winter and not for human consumption. A technique used in Nepal seems to work. They avoid the honey near azalea bloom season, but wait until later in the year and find the honey is safe then. Apparently something the bees do inactivates the toxins with time. For more on this see Hooker's Himalayan Journal, Volume 1, Page 201.