community in Massachusetts
Honey bee forage in Marshfield Hills, Massachusetts
Estimated forage here is better than about 65% of sites in Massachusetts. Against other Massachusetts sites it stands out most in fall (81st percentile) and lowest in summer (56th). Biggest nearby bee crops: corn (nearest 2.5 mi SW, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Marshfield Hills?
- First forage: Mar 1 (early trees (maple, willow, poplar), dandelion)
- Main flow: Apr 1 to Jun 30, peaking early May (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, early trees (maple, willow, poplar))
- Fall flow: Jul 16 to Jul 31 (summer-flowering shrubs, dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Marshfield Hills, 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 May 7.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, early trees (maple, willow, poplar), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- 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), dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, garden flowers; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, early trees (maple, willow, poplar), fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster); 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 2 acres in a typical year, nearest 2.5 mi SW, blooms early Jul – early Aug (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 Marshfield Hills
Mostly: Open water; Northern Atlantic Coastal Plain Hardwood Forest; Northern Atlantic Coastal Plain Tidal Salt Marsh.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.21 mi SE; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.28 mi NW.
How Marshfield Hills ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 55th | 70th | 57th | 67th |
| Massachusetts | 65th | 66th | 56th | 81st |
| Northeastern Coastal Zone | 62nd | 65th | 55th | 80th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 61% 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 Marshfield Hills: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Scituate 3 mi · Marshfield 3 mi · North Pembroke 4 mi · Ocean Bluff-Brant Rock 5 mi · North Scituate 5 mi · Cedar Crest 6 mi
All towns in Massachusetts · 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 Marshfield Hills (42.1433, -70.7291); 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.