city in Arkansas
Honey bee forage in Horseshoe Bend, Arkansas
Estimated forage here is better than about 57% of sites in Arkansas. Against other Arkansas sites it stands out most in fall (93rd percentile) and lowest in spring (66th). Biggest nearby bee crops: corn (nearest 3.4 mi S, grown 1 of the last 5 years); sorghum (nearest 3.7 mi S, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Horseshoe Bend?
- First forage: Feb 1 (dandelion, early trees (maple, willow, poplar))
- 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 Horseshoe Bend, 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 4.
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, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); 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): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); 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 1 acres in a typical year, nearest 3.4 mi S, blooms early Jun – early Jul (grown 1 of the last 5 years)
- Sorghum: about 1 acres in a typical year, nearest 3.7 mi S, 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 Horseshoe Bend
Mostly: Ozark-Ouachita Dry Oak Woodland; Eastern Cool Temperate Pasture and Hayland; Ozark-Ouachita Dry-Mesic Oak Forest.
Nearest mapped water: pond, lake or river 0.04 mi S; open water 0.04 mi S.
How Horseshoe Bend ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 72nd | 92nd | 52nd | 56th |
| Arkansas | 57th | 66th | 70th | 93rd |
| Ozark Highlands | 61st | 63rd | 58th | 57th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 55% 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 Horseshoe Bend: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Franklin 4 mi · Violet Hill 7 mi · Ash Flat 7 mi · Oxford 10 mi · Cherokee Village 11 mi · Salem 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 Horseshoe Bend (36.2187, -91.7383); 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.