got two jars from the same region, same described "grade", and they were not the same experience at all. which got me thinking about all the listings claiming "standardized potency". on a wild harvest? how. genuinely asking the science people what drives the swing
loads of it is just which flowers the bees actually hit. rhododendron isnt the only thing blooming so the ratio of that nectar vs everything else shifts the grayanotoxin load. different slope, different week, different mix
@Ben yep. season + altitude + even which species of rhododendron, the toxin content varies between them too. so "wild cliff harvest" basically means nobody controlled any of these variables
wait so the same hillside could give a stronger batch in spring vs autumn? i assumed region = fixed strength
@MayaW pretty much. weather that year matters too, a wet season changes what blooms and when. its a harvest not a recipe