community in North Carolina
Honey bee forage in Castle Hayne, North Carolina
Estimated forage here is better than about 68% of sites in North Carolina. Against other North Carolina sites it stands out most in spring (77th percentile) and lowest in summer (48th). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (right here, grown 2 of the last 5 years); corn (right here, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Castle Hayne?
- First forage: Jan 1 (early trees (maple, willow, poplar), dandelion)
- Main flow: Feb 16 to Jun 30, peaking early May (soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion)
- Season ends: Sep 30
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Castle Hayne, 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 Mar 12.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): garden flowers, dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); light amber, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): garden flowers, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster); amber
- Whole season (March to November): soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, 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 43 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.2 mi NE, blooms late Apr – early Jul (grown 3 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 9 acres in a typical year, nearest 0 mi E, blooms early May – early Jun (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 Castle Hayne
Mostly: Atlantic Coastal Plain Peatland Pocosin and Canebrake Woodland; Southeastern Native Ruderal Forest; Southeastern North American Temperate Forest Plantation.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.08 mi S; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.34 mi S.
How Castle Hayne ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 76th | 93rd | 42nd | 17th |
| North Carolina | 68th | 77th | 48th | 51st |
| Middle Atlantic Coastal Plain | 60th | 86th | 47th | 45th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 55% 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 Castle Hayne: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Skippers Corner 2 mi · Northchase 4 mi · Blue Clay Farms 4 mi · Wrightsboro 5 mi · Murraysville 6 mi · Hightsville 6 mi
All towns in North Carolina · 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 Castle Hayne (34.3555, -77.9099); 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.