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Honey bee forage in Ponce de Leon, Florida
Estimated forage here is better than about 60% of sites in Florida. Against other Florida sites it stands out most in summer (79th percentile) and lowest in fall (31st). Biggest nearby bee crops: cotton (nearest 1.0 mi W, grown 2 of the last 5 years); soybeans (nearest 1.9 mi E, grown 2 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 1.9 mi E, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Ponce de Leon?
- First forage: Jan 1 (early trees (maple, willow, poplar), dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard))
- Main flow: Feb 1 to Apr 30, peaking late Feb (roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), early trees (maple, willow, poplar), summer-flowering trees (locust, linden))
- Season ends: Dec 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Ponce de Leon, 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 24.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), summer-flowering shrubs, clovers: white, alsike and red, summer-flowering trees (locust, linden); extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), cotton, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), garden flowers; 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): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), summer-flowering shrubs, clovers: white, alsike and red, 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
- Cotton: about 36 acres in a typical year, nearest 1 mi W, blooms early Jun – late Jul (grown 2 of the last 5 years)
- Soybeans: about 15 acres in a typical year, nearest 2.2 mi N, blooms early Apr – early 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 Ponce de Leon
Mostly: Southeastern North American Temperate Forest Plantation; Southeastern Native Ruderal Forest; Southeastern Ruderal Grassland.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.02 mi E; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.04 mi E.
Things to watch
- Bee crops nearby that are often sprayed. Cotton: insecticides used on about 39% of surveyed US acres (2025). Figures are from USDA's Agricultural Chemical Use Survey, matched by crop type from the crop map. The survey counts any insecticide use in the crop year (not seed treatments) and doesn't say when; ask nearby growers about spray timing.
How Ponce de Leon ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 64th | 77th | 17th | 27th |
| Florida | 60th | 77th | 79th | 31st |
| Southeastern Plains | 68th | 52nd | 33rd | 84th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 79% 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 Ponce de Leon: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Westville 7 mi · Caryville 8 mi · DeFuniak Springs 11 mi · Bonifay 15 mi · Vernon 16 mi · Freeport 19 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 Ponce de Leon (30.724, -85.9369); 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.