city in Alabama
Honey bee forage in Spanish Fort, Alabama
Estimated forage here is better than about 17% of sites in Alabama. Against other Alabama sites it stands out most in fall (79th percentile) and lowest in summer (3rd). Biggest nearby bee crops: corn (nearest 3.2 mi SE, grown 3 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Spanish Fort?
- First forage: Jan 1 (early trees (maple, willow, poplar), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard))
- Main flow: Jan 16 to Apr 30, peaking late Feb (roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), early trees (maple, willow, poplar), summer-flowering shrubs)
- Season ends: Dec 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Spanish Fort, 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 Feb 23.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), summer-flowering shrubs, summer-flowering trees (locust, linden), early trees (maple, willow, poplar); extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), garden flowers, clovers: white, alsike and red; 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 shrubs, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), summer-flowering trees (locust, linden); 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
- Corn: about 57 acres in a typical year, nearest 3.2 mi SE, blooms late Apr – late May (grown 3 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 Spanish Fort
Mostly: Southeastern North American Temperate Forest Plantation; East Gulf Coastal Plain Interior Upland Longleaf Pine Woodland; Southern Coastal Plain Mesic Slope Forest.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.1 mi W; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.11 mi SW.
How Spanish Fort ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 26th | 55th | 7th | 25th |
| Alabama | 17th | 4th | 3rd | 79th |
| Southeastern Plains | 9th | 4th | 1st | 82nd |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 91% 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 Spanish Fort: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Stapleton 4 mi · Daphne 7 mi · Loxley 8 mi · Bay Minette 12 mi · Chickasaw 13 mi · Creola 13 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 Spanish Fort (30.723, -87.8659); 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.