Honeybush
Herbal infusion
4.5/5 · FindMeTea score
About this tea
Honeybush (Cyclopia spp.) is a naturally caffeine-free herbal tisane native exclusively to the fynbos biome of South Africa's Cape mountains — a close botanical cousin of rooibos with a distinctive honey-like aroma that comes from its bright yellow pea-like flowers. The infusion is sweet, smooth, and lightly woody, with notes of honey, dried apricot, and warm spice. Naturally low in tannins and free of caffeine — level 0 on our scale — honeybush has been the evening cup of Cape households for centuries, and it needs no sugar: the sweetness is the plant's own.
How to brew: 95°C, 5 min, 2.5 g per cup.
Caffeine
None
How to brew
Flavor notes
sweet, honeyed, smooth
Often associated with
Relaxation, Comfort
Best time to enjoy
Afternoon, Evening
Tags
Where to find it in United States
Where to find it in United StatesNear Columbus
- North Market SpicesOther Herbal infusion
Columbus · North Market, downtown
Spearmint, Crushed Leaves
from US$ 3.85· 1 oz
In storeOnline59 Spruce Street, Columbus, OH 43215See the shop → - Posh Teatime Co.Other Herbal infusion
Columbus · Franklinton, West Broad Street
Farmer's Market Fruit Blend
from US$ 16.95· 4 oz
In storeOnline1273 W Broad Street, Columbus, OH 43222See the shop → - Sencha Tea BarThis tea
Minneapolis · Uptown (also Madison, WI)
Honeybush
from US$ 3.99· 1 oz
In storeOnline2601 Hennepin Ave S, Minneapolis, MN 55408See the shop → - Jayida Ché Herbal Tea SpotThis tea
Atlanta · East Lake (Fayetteville Rd)
Honeybush (Organic)
US$ 6· 1 oz
In storeOnline566 Fayetteville Rd, Atlanta, GA 30316See the shop → - This tea
South African Honeybush Superior Organic (125 g packet)
US$ 11· 125 g
OnlineSee the shop →
Origin & Production
Honeybush is endemic to the Cape fold mountains of South Africa, growing wild in the fynbos shrubland of the Western and Eastern Cape. The genus Cyclopia contains 23 known species, of which Cyclopia intermedia, C. subternata, and C. genistoides are the most commercially important. The plant flourishes in poor, sandy, acidic soils at altitudes between 30 and 1,500 meters, often in the same regions as rooibos but extending further along the southern Cape coast. Production is split between wild harvest in the mountains and increasing cultivation in commercial plantations.
Production process
Harvest
Honeybush branches are cut by hand or machine during the South African summer when the plants are in flower and aromatic compounds peak. Wild-harvested plants are cut leaving enough stem for regrowth, while cultivated plants are harvested annually.
Cutting & bruising
Harvested material — leaves, stems, and flowers — is mechanically cut into 2–4 mm pieces and bruised to break cell walls and release the enzymes needed for oxidation.
Oxidation (curing)
The cut material is heaped and 'cured' — traditionally in the sun for 24–60 hours, or in heated chambers at 70–90°C for faster modern processing. Curing turns the green plant brown and develops the characteristic honey-sweet aroma.
Drying & sterilization
Cured honeybush is spread thinly and dried to about 10% moisture, then steam-pasteurized to ensure microbiological safety. Modern facilities follow strict food-safety protocols established by the South African Honeybush Tea Association.
Sieving & grading
Dried honeybush is sieved into uniform cuts, graded by particle size and aroma, and packaged. Premium grades retain visible bright yellow flowers, while finer cuts are used for tea bags.
- Free
- Sundays
- 2 min
Drink better tea, one Sunday at a time.
A fact for the table·A shop worth the trip·A better cup·Ritual & kit of the week·Tea fun facts
History & Tradition
Honeybush has been brewed in the Cape mountains of South Africa for centuries, evolving from a wild-harvested household infusion of the Khoisan and early Cape settlers into a globally recognized speciality herbal tea.
Khoisan traditional use
The indigenous Khoisan people gathered wild Cyclopia branches in the Cape mountains, drying them to brew a sweet, honey-scented infusion centuries before written records.
First European mention
Honeybush appears in a Cape Dutch herbal record describing the plant's sweet aroma and use as a 'mountain tea' by Cape settlers and trekboers.
Botanical classification
The genus Cyclopia was formally described by the French botanist Étienne Pierre Ventenat in his work Decas generum novorum, and several Cape species were later catalogued for their economic potential as a beverage.
Commercial cultivation
South African researchers at the Agricultural Research Council developed protocols for the systematic cultivation of honeybush, transforming the industry from purely wild-harvested to mixed cultivation and reducing pressure on wild populations.
International export growth
Annual honeybush production reached around 200 tonnes, with the majority exported to Germany, the Netherlands, the UK, the US, and Japan. The South African Honeybush Tea Association established quality and sustainability standards.
What's in the cup
Naturally caffeine-free
Like its cousin rooibos, honeybush is not Camellia sinensis: there is no caffeine in the cup, level 0 on our scale, and very little tannin, so a long steep stays smooth instead of turning astringent. Our catalog places it in the afternoon and at night.
What's in the leaf
Honeybush contains the polyphenols mangiferin and hesperidin, which is part of why the green, unoxidized style is sold on its own. We list them as what is in the cup, not as a promise: the honey flavor comes from the oxidation of the cut stems and leaves, not from either compound.
Sweet without sugar
The infusion tastes of honey, dried apricot and warm spice — our catalog lists it as sweet, honeyed and soft — and that sweetness is in the plant, so most people drink it plain. It also takes milk, lemon or a slice of ginger without losing its character.
The evening cup, by custom
Caffeine-free, naturally sweet and warm in character, honeybush is the after-dinner pot in many South African households — a custom older than any study, and that is how we list it: a cup for the end of the day, taken for its flavor and not for anything it does.
How to brew it
Our catalog brews honeybush at 95 °C for 5 minutes with 2.5 g per cup, and it is one of the few infusions that rewards going longer: ten minutes draws out a syrupy, caramel-edged cup with no bitterness, because there is so little tannin to extract. As with any herbal infusion, anyone pregnant, breastfeeding or on medication should check with a healthcare professional before making it a daily habit.
- Free
- Sundays
- 2 min
Drink better tea, one Sunday at a time.
A fact for the table·A shop worth the trip·A better cup·Ritual & kit of the week·Brew better
Grades & Varieties
Cyclopia intermedia (Bergtee)
Traditionally the dominant commercial species, harvested wild in the mountains. Produces a robust, deeply honey-sweet infusion with caramel and dried-fruit notes. Known in Afrikaans as 'Bergtee' (mountain tea).
Best for
- ✓Full-bodied evening cup
- ✓Robust honey character preference
- ✓Traditional South African brewing
Cyclopia subternata (Vleitee)
The most commercially cultivated species today, valued for its higher yields and lighter, more delicate honey-floral flavor. Produces an amber infusion with bright floral top notes and a smooth finish.
Best for
- ✓Delicate floral preference
- ✓Iced honeybush tea
- ✓Blending with citrus or vanilla
Green (unoxidized) honeybush
A newer style in which the cut material is quickly dried, skipping the oxidation step, so it keeps more of its mangiferin and producing a lighter, more grassy infusion with a subtle hint of honey.
Best for
- ✓Highest mangiferin content
- ✓Lighter, grassier flavor
- ✓Shorter steeps and cold brew
Did you know?
Honeybush is named for the honey-like aroma of its bright yellow pea-shaped flowers; the genus Cyclopia contains 23 species, all endemic to the Cape fold mountains of South Africa, and the plant is a close botanical cousin of rooibos.
Foods with this tea
What to Eat with Honeybush Tea
Honeybush's natural honey-sweet smoothness pairs beautifully with South African milk tart, buttery rusks, vanilla custards, and lightly roasted nuts.
Honeybush-Glazed Roasted Almonds and Aged Gouda Board
Whole almonds glazed with reduced honeybush tea and a touch of honey, roasted until fragrant and served alongside aged Gouda and dried apricots.
Honeybush Melktert (South African Milk Tart)
A creamy, cinnamon-dusted Cape Malay milk tart with honeybush infused into the custard—silky, gently sweet, and quintessentially South African.
- Free
- Sundays
- 2 min
Drink better tea, one Sunday at a time.
A fact for the table·A shop worth the trip·A better cup·Ritual & kit of the week·Tea recipes & drinks
Drinks with this tea
Strong Honeybush with Lemon, Honey and Ginger
Honeybush steeped long and strong, then finished with fresh lemon, raw honey and a thin slice of ginger: naturally sweet, caffeine-free and made to be sipped warm.
Iced Honeybush Oat Milk Latte
Cold-brewed honeybush poured over ice with creamy oat milk and a swirl of vanilla—a caffeine-free, naturally sweet iced latte that drinks like dessert.
Honeybush Bourbon Old Fashioned
Honeybush-infused bourbon stirred with honey syrup and orange bitters—a warming, autumnal cocktail where South Africa meets Kentucky in a heavy rocks glass.