city in Alabama
Honey bee forage in Owens Cross Roads, Alabama
Estimated forage here is better than about 98% of sites in Alabama. Against other Alabama sites it stands out most in summer (98th percentile) and lowest in fall (76th). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (right here, grown 3 of the last 5 years); corn (right here, grown 2 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Owens Cross Roads?
- First forage: Jan 16 (early trees (maple, willow, poplar), dandelion)
- Main flow: May 1 to Jul 15, peaking late May (soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Season ends: Aug 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Owens Cross Roads, 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 24.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, early trees (maple, willow, poplar); extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Summer honey (July and August): soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster); extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Fall honey (September to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), garden flowers; amber
- Whole season (March to November): soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); extra light amber, likely to set over some months
Nectar-source estimate (plants weighted by how much bees favor them), not a pollen analysis. Full honey estimate.
Bee crops within flight range
- Soybeans: about 140 acres in a typical year, nearest 0 mi , blooms early May – early Jul (grown 3 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 206 acres in a typical year, nearest 0 mi , blooms late May – late Jun (grown 2 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 Owens Cross Roads
Mostly: South-Central Interior Large Floodplain Forest; Eastern Cool Temperate Pasture and Hayland; Southern Ridge and Valley / Cumberland Dry Calcareous Forest.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.17 mi S; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.17 mi W.
How Owens Cross Roads ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 87th | 94th | 77th | 24th |
| Alabama | 98th | 92nd | 98th | 76th |
| Interior Plateau | 91st | 81st | 80th | 28th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 48% 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 Owens Cross Roads: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
New Hope 4 mi · Paint Rock 9 mi · Gurley 9 mi · Woodville 10 mi · Grant 12 mi · Union Grove 12 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 Owens Cross Roads (34.5855, -86.455); 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.