city in Missouri
Honey bee forage in Poplar Bluff, Missouri
Estimated forage here is better than about 49% of sites in Missouri. Against other Missouri sites it stands out most in spring (93rd percentile) and lowest in summer (41st). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (nearest 1.1 mi W, grown 4 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 2.5 mi NE, grown 3 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Poplar Bluff?
- First forage: Feb 16 (dandelion, 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 Jul 31 (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, soybeans)
- Season ends: Sep 30
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Poplar Bluff, 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 6.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, soybeans, 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, garden flowers, soybeans; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Fall honey (September to November): garden flowers, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster); amber
- Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, garden flowers, soybeans; 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 518 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.9 mi E, blooms late May – late Jul (grown 3 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 Poplar Bluff
Mostly: Ozark-Ouachita Dry-Mesic Oak Forest; Ozark-Ouachita Dry Oak Woodland; Developed, open space (parks, large lots, lawns).
Nearest mapped water: open water 0.04 mi NW; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.07 mi SE.
Things to watch
- Heavily developed. About 76% of the land within a mile is developed. Less room for forage, and more neighbors near the hives.
How Poplar Bluff ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 82nd | 96th | 67th | 46th |
| Missouri | 49th | 93rd | 41st | 47th |
| Ozark Highlands | 87th | 84th | 89th | 24th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 32% 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 Poplar Bluff: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Harviell 8 mi · Broseley 11 mi · Fisk 12 mi · Fairdealing 13 mi · Qulin 15 mi · Neelyville 15 mi
All towns in Missouri · 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 Poplar Bluff (36.7633, -90.414); 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.