community in North Carolina
Honey bee forage in Gulf, North Carolina
Estimated forage here is better than about 16% of sites in North Carolina. Against other North Carolina sites it ranks highest in fall (38th percentile) and lowest in spring (20th). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (nearest 0.3 mi SW); corn (nearest 1.7 mi SW).
When is the honey flow in Gulf?
- First forage: Jan 16 (early trees (maple, willow, poplar), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), dandelion)
- Main flow: Mar 1 to Jun 15, peaking early Apr (roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), summer-flowering trees (locust, linden), clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Fall flow: Jul 1 to Jul 15 (roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), soybeans)
- Season ends: Aug 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Gulf, 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 27.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), summer-flowering trees (locust, linden), summer-flowering shrubs, clovers: white, alsike and red; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion; extra 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): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), summer-flowering trees (locust, linden), clovers: white, alsike and red, summer-flowering shrubs; 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 39 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.3 mi SW, blooms early May – late Jul (grown 5 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 Gulf
Mostly: Southeastern North American Temperate Forest Plantation; Southeastern Native Ruderal Forest; Southern Piedmont Mesic Forest.
Nearest mapped water: open water 0.22 mi SE; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.29 mi SW.
How Gulf ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 48th | 79th | 32nd | 13th |
| North Carolina | 16th | 20th | 30th | 38th |
| Piedmont | 40th | 40th | 51st | 63rd |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 84% 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 Gulf: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Goldston 3 mi · Sanford 7 mi · Moncure 13 mi · Pittsboro 14 mi · Bennett 14 mi · Broadway 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 Gulf (35.5576, -79.2808); 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.