In a quiet corner of North Carolina, bees produce a violet-hued honey so rare and unpredictable that even experts can't explain it – and that's what makes it magical.

In the Sandhills region of North Carolina, between the capital of Raleigh and the Nascar Hall of Fame in the sport-mad town of Charlotte, visitors may not even realise what a rare ecological niche they're stepping into. This is where the Atlantic once met the venerable Uwharrie Mountains, 145km inland; when the ocean pulled away, it left behind the grit that gave the region its name.

The region is one of the last homes for unique flora and fauna like the southern hognose snake and the Carolina gopher frog, both of which are endangered. What it's also known for, though, is something that has university researchers, foodies and conspiracy theorists all scratching their heads. It's a rare and coveted honey in a deep shade of aubergine-purple, and no one knows for sure what gives it the hue.

People largely travel to the Sandhills region for open-air adrenaline pursuits and laid-back rural charm – think corn mazes, trout fishing and country fair-style Americana.

The prestigious Pinehurst Golf Resort, commonly referred to as the "cradle of American golf", is here (don't miss its celebrated No 2 course), as is the horse riding hub Southern Pines and its abundance of equestrian trails and backcountry trekking. Kayakers and canoers flock to Drowning Creek, drawn by the scenic 13-mile route from Turnpike Road to Highway 401.

Hunting classic Southern game like white-tailed deer, wild turkey and wood ducks is popular in these parts, with extensive land preserves designated for conservation to support the pursuit. The longleaf pine forests are themselves a thing of simple beauty, and twitchers come here to search for northern bobwhite quails, bald eagles and – the star attraction – imperilled red-cockaded woodpeckers with their binoculars.

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But travellers also come to the region to seek out something even more extraordinary than threatened species and unique biomes. Here, if the conditions are exactly right (a mystery even to the experts) and the timing is perfect (a secret only the bees know), apiarists will visit their hives and find not just frames brimming with a slow and sultry river of liquid gold, but perhaps one that gleams with deep violet treasure.

"It is true that nobody knows what causes purple honey," says Paige Burns, who has a degree in........

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