community in Alabama
Honey bee forage in Our Town, Alabama
Estimated forage here is better than about 22% of sites in Alabama. Against other Alabama sites it ranks highest in spring (35th percentile) and lowest in summer (23rd). Biggest nearby bee crops: cotton (nearest 3.3 mi S, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Our Town?
- First forage: Jan 1 (early trees (maple, willow, poplar), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), dandelion)
- Main flow: Feb 16 to May 15, peaking late Mar (summer-flowering trees (locust, linden), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), summer-flowering shrubs)
- Fall flow: Jun 1 to Jun 15 (roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), summer-flowering shrubs)
- Season ends: Aug 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Our Town, from what grows within flight range (about 3.7 miles) and when it blooms here. Dates are the model's estimate for a typical year; the spring index for this spot falls on Mar 11.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), summer-flowering trees (locust, linden), summer-flowering shrubs, clovers: white, alsike and red; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), dandelion; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), garden flowers; amber
- Whole season (March to November): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), summer-flowering trees (locust, linden), summer-flowering shrubs, clovers: white, alsike and red; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
Nectar-source estimate (plants weighted by how much bees favor them), not a pollen analysis. Full honey estimate.
Bee crops within flight range
- Cotton: about 3 acres in a typical year, nearest 3.4 mi S, blooms late Jun – early Aug (grown 1 of the last 5 years)
From USDA's crop maps for 2021–2025; fields rotate, so a crop counts by how often it was grown. Listing a field says nothing about its owner.
The land and water around Our Town
Mostly: Southeastern Native Ruderal Forest; Southeastern North American Temperate Forest Plantation; Open water.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.08 mi W; pond, lake or river 0.17 mi E.
How Our Town ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 29th | 70th | 11th | 5th |
| Alabama | 22nd | 35th | 23rd | 30th |
| Piedmont | 10th | 13th | 4th | 21st |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 90% of the land here is scored with national averages for its vegetation type rather than measured plant cover, so the wild-plant part of this estimate is rougher than the crop part.
The national forage map around Our Town: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Ray 5 mi · Alexander City 5 mi · Nixburg 8 mi · Jacksons' Gap 9 mi · Hissop 10 mi · Kellyton 10 mi
An estimate from public maps (USDA crop maps 2021–2025 averaged, LANDFIRE vegetation), not a survey of the ground. Maps can't see garden plantings, understory density, other beekeepers' hives, or this year's weather. The point is the Census Bureau's published center of Our Town (32.8422, -85.967); a yard a mile or two away can differ, so check your own spot. The FEMA flood map was not checked for this page. Benchmark 2026.5, built 2026-10-19. How this works · All sources.