city in Missouri
Honey bee forage in Sparta, Missouri
Estimated forage here is better than about 58% of sites in Missouri. Against other Missouri sites it stands out most in spring (98th percentile) and lowest in summer (43rd). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (nearest 1.4 mi S, grown 1 of the last 5 years); alfalfa (nearest 1.6 mi W, grown 3 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 1.5 mi SE, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Sparta?
- First forage: Feb 16 (dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Main flow: Mar 16 to Jun 30, peaking late Apr (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion)
- Fall flow: Jul 16 to Aug 15 (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion)
- Season ends: Sep 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Sparta, 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 15.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Summer honey (July and August): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, garden flowers, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster); extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), dandelion, garden flowers; light amber, likely to set over some months
- Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
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 11 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.8 mi S, blooms early Jun – early Aug (grown 4 of the last 5 years)
- Alfalfa: about 6 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.6 mi W, blooms late May – early Aug (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 Sparta
Mostly: Eastern Cool Temperate Pasture and Hayland; Ozark-Ouachita Dry-Mesic Oak Forest; Ozark-Ouachita Dry Oak Woodland.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.25 mi W; open water 0.32 mi N.
How Sparta ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 85th | 97th | 69th | 53rd |
| Missouri | 58th | 98th | 43rd | 63rd |
| Ozark Highlands | 94th | 93rd | 92nd | 43rd |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 75% 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 Sparta: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Ozark 8 mi · Rogersville 8 mi · Fremont Hills 10 mi · Highlandville 12 mi · Nixa 12 mi · Fordland 13 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 Sparta (37.0018, -93.0846); 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.