community in North Carolina
Honey bee forage in Cherokee, North Carolina
Estimated forage here is better than about 39% of sites in North Carolina. Against other North Carolina sites it stands out most in fall (91st percentile) and lowest in summer (24th). Biggest nearby bee crops: corn (nearest 2.6 mi S, grown 3 of the last 5 years); soybeans (nearest 2.7 mi S, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Cherokee?
- First forage: Feb 1 (early trees (maple, willow, poplar))
- Main flow: Mar 16 to May 31, peaking early Apr (early trees (maple, willow, poplar), summer-flowering trees (locust, linden))
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Cherokee, 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 12.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): early trees (maple, willow, poplar), summer-flowering trees (locust, linden), clovers: white, alsike and red, summer-flowering shrubs; light amber, likely to stay liquid a long time
- Summer honey (July and August): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, summer-flowering shrubs; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Fall honey (September to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), garden flowers; amber
- Whole season (March to November): early trees (maple, willow, poplar), summer-flowering trees (locust, linden), clovers: white, alsike and red, summer-flowering shrubs; 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 12 acres in a typical year, nearest 2.6 mi S, blooms early Jun – early Jul (grown 3 of the last 5 years)
- Soybeans: about 1 acres in a typical year, nearest 2.7 mi S, blooms late May – 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 Cherokee
Mostly: Southern Appalachian Oak Forest; Southern and Central Appalachian Cove Forest; Central and Southern Appalachian Montane Oak Forest.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.04 mi SE; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.63 mi NW.
How Cherokee ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 61st | 92nd | 29th | 46th |
| North Carolina | 39th | 69th | 24th | 91st |
| Blue Ridge | 70th | 74th | 54th | 67th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 82% 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 Cherokee: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Whittier 5 mi · Dillsboro 8 mi · Sylva 9 mi · Bryson City 9 mi · Webster 10 mi · Maggie Valley 14 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 Cherokee (35.4859, -83.3011); 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.