Melania Trump announced that she’s expanding the White House honey program with a newly designed beehive shaped like the presidential residence to the South Lawn. The move increases the number of active hives on the grounds and is expected to boost honey production while continuing a tradition first established more than a decade ago.
The mini White House sits on a green table surrounded by flower beds, bushes, and the Cleome or spider flower, which is a well-known bee favorite. The First Lady shared her initiative with a video to social media showing the process from pollination, harvesting the honey, to bottling the sweet goodness at the White House.
In a White House statement, the administration shared that the new hive joins two existing colonies that have operated on the White House grounds since 2009, when the beekeeping initiative was started by Michelle Obama. The hives at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue can house up to 70,000 bees during peak summer months and are able to produce between 200 and 225 pounds of honey every year. The addition of the new hive will hopefully increase the honey production by approximately 30 pounds per year.
The new @WhiteHouse bee hive is expected to increase annual honey production by an estimated 30 pounds, allowing for even greater use in preparing White House culinary dishes, serving as official gifts from the @POTUS and @FLOTUS, and supporting charitable donations of healthy… pic.twitter.com/c6Q48T6Cg8
— Office of the First Lady (@FirstLadyOffice) April 24, 2026
According to officials, the honey produced on-site is used is used in a variety of meals. Not only do the chefs include the liquid gold in meals prepared by White House chefs, but they are often presented as gifts from the president and first lady, and as donations to community food programs.
The honey is also not your run-of-the mill fare. It is described as having a light clover and basswood flavor with a subtle citrus note, and can therefore also be used to sweeten teas, desserts, and dressings.
Beyond production, the bees play a critical role in pollinating the White House Kitchen Garden and nearby flower gardens, as well as vegetation across the National Mall. It also provides the perfect opportunity for visitors to spend some more time in the garden, surrounded by the pollinators and plants. As the officials also confirmed, visitors to the South Lawn may be able to observe the beehives and even learn more about pollination and food production, which will add an educational component to the initiative.
.@FLOTUS @MELANIATRUMP announced the expansion of the @WhiteHouse honey program with the addition of a newly installed and fully functioning beehive on the South Lawn.
Hand-crafted by a local artisan in the image of the White House, the beautiful, new hive will add two new bee… pic.twitter.com/5lJpdzXcRY
— Office of the First Lady (@FirstLadyOffice) April 24, 2026
The garden itself was started by Michelle Obama 2009 as healthy eating and local food awareness was a big part of her outreach and initiatives. At the time she issued a Million Pollinator Garden challenge with the aim to “get millions of more pollinator gardens planted out there around the country.” And now the moment has come full circle, as the current First Lady is expanding the program.
The newly unveiled hive was designed by members of the White House Executive Residence staff and then it was handcrafted by a Virginia-based artisan. The Trust for the National Mall is partnering with the National Park Service to support projects in and around the historic grounds, and have made the funds available to expand the bee hives.
The bee expansion highlights a continuation of how the White House aims to integrate sustainability, food production, and public engagement. While each administration has helped to shape the program in a different way, the beekeeping initiative remains one of the more visible examples of how the grounds are used beyond ceremonial functions.
