town in Arkansas
Honey bee forage in Franklin, Arkansas
Estimated forage here is better than about 63% of sites in Arkansas. Against other Arkansas sites it stands out most in fall (89th percentile) and lowest in summer (69th). Biggest nearby bee crops: sorghum (nearest 2.0 mi E, grown 1 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 1.6 mi E, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Franklin?
- First forage: Feb 1 (dandelion, early trees (maple, willow, poplar), clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Main flow: Mar 1 to Jun 15, peaking early Apr (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion)
- Fall flow: Jul 1 to Aug 15 (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster))
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Franklin, 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 Apr 2.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), summer-flowering shrubs; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Summer honey (July and August): clovers: white, alsike and red, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); light amber, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster); amber
- Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), 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
- Sorghum: about 3 acres in a typical year, nearest 2 mi E, blooms early Jun – early Jul (grown 1 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 1 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.6 mi E, blooms early Jun – early Jul (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 Franklin
Mostly: Eastern Cool Temperate Pasture and Hayland; Ozark-Ouachita Dry Oak Woodland; Ozark-Ouachita Dry-Mesic Oak Forest.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.02 mi N; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.02 mi W.
How Franklin ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 76th | 95th | 51st | 53rd |
| Arkansas | 63rd | 79th | 69th | 89th |
| Ozark Highlands | 72nd | 78th | 57th | 45th |
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 Franklin: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Horseshoe Bend 4 mi · Violet Hill 4 mi · Oxford 9 mi · Melbourne 10 mi · Ash Flat 10 mi · Evening Shade 11 mi
All towns in Arkansas · National map · How the scoring works
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 Franklin (36.1727, -91.7697); 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.