town in Maryland
Honey bee forage in Oxford, Maryland
Estimated forage here is better than about 80% of sites in Maryland. Against other Maryland sites it stands out most in summer (81st percentile) and lowest in fall (19th). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (nearest 0.2 mi E, grown 2 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 0.2 mi E, grown 3 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Oxford?
- First forage: Mar 1 (dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Main flow: Jun 1 to Jul 31, peaking late Jun (soybeans)
- Season ends: Sep 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Oxford, 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 14.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): soybeans, dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): soybeans, dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, garden flowers; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): garden flowers, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): soybeans, dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, 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
- Soybeans: about 104 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.3 mi SE, blooms late May – early Aug (grown 3 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 141 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.5 mi SE, blooms late Jun – late 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 Oxford
Mostly: Open water; Southeastern Native Ruderal Forest; Northern Atlantic Coastal Plain Basin Swamp and Wet Hardwood Forest.
Nearest mapped water: pond, lake or river 0 mi S; open water 0 mi S.
How Oxford ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 84th | 70th | 86th | 26th |
| Maryland | 80th | 38th | 81st | 19th |
| Middle Atlantic Coastal Plain | 81st | 23rd | 88th | 63rd |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
The national forage map around Oxford: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Trappe 6 mi · St. Michaels 8 mi · Algonquin 8 mi · Easton 8 mi · Tilghman Island 9 mi · Cambridge 10 mi
All towns in Maryland · 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 Oxford (38.6874, -76.1682); 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.