community in North Carolina
Honey bee forage in Cherry Branch, North Carolina
Estimated forage here is better than about 43% of sites in North Carolina. Against other North Carolina sites it stands out most in fall (63rd percentile) and lowest in summer (18th). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (nearest 1.7 mi E, grown 3 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 1.7 mi E, grown 2 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Cherry Branch?
- First forage: Jan 16 (dandelion, early trees (maple, willow, poplar), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard))
- Main flow: Feb 16 to May 15, peaking late Mar (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, summer-flowering trees (locust, linden))
- Fall flow: Jun 1 to Jun 15 (roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), summer-flowering shrubs, dandelion)
- Season ends: Sep 30
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Cherry Branch, 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 13.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, summer-flowering trees (locust, linden), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), dandelion; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): garden flowers, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red; light amber, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), garden flowers; amber
- Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, summer-flowering trees (locust, linden), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), dandelion; 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 14 acres in a typical year, nearest 2.3 mi SE, blooms late Apr – early Jul (grown 2 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 Cherry Branch
Mostly: Open water; Southeastern Native Ruderal Forest; Atlantic Coastal Plain Peatland Pocosin and Canebrake Woodland.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.04 mi SW; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.06 mi S.
How Cherry Branch ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 64th | 89th | 25th | 24th |
| North Carolina | 43rd | 56th | 18th | 63rd |
| Middle Atlantic Coastal Plain | 38th | 75th | 27th | 60th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 65% 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 Cherry Branch: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Minnesott Beach 4 mi · Havelock 5 mi · Arapahoe 6 mi · Neuse Forest 8 mi · Oriental 10 mi · Newport 12 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 Cherry Branch (34.9343, -76.8112); 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.