town in North Carolina
Honey bee forage in Holly Ridge, North Carolina
Estimated forage here is better than about 24% of sites in North Carolina. Against other North Carolina sites it stands out most in fall (73rd percentile) and lowest in summer (15th). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (nearest 0.6 mi SE, grown 2 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 0.7 mi E, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Holly Ridge?
- First forage: Jan 1 (early trees (maple, willow, poplar), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), dandelion)
- Main flow: Feb 16 to May 31, peaking late Mar (roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), summer-flowering trees (locust, linden), summer-flowering shrubs)
- Fall flow: Jun 16 to Jun 30 (roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), soybeans, summer-flowering shrubs)
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Holly Ridge, 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): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), summer-flowering shrubs, summer-flowering trees (locust, linden), early trees (maple, willow, poplar); extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), garden flowers, 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): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), summer-flowering shrubs, summer-flowering trees (locust, linden), early trees (maple, willow, poplar); 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 27 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.4 mi E, blooms late Apr – early Jul (grown 3 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 19 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.4 mi E, blooms early May – early Jun (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 Holly Ridge
Mostly: Atlantic Coastal Plain Peatland Pocosin and Canebrake Woodland; Atlantic Coastal Plain Upland Longleaf Pine Woodland; Southeastern Native Ruderal Forest.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.09 mi SW; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.41 mi NE.
How Holly Ridge ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 54th | 81st | 23rd | 32nd |
| North Carolina | 24th | 27th | 15th | 73rd |
| Middle Atlantic Coastal Plain | 24th | 52nd | 26th | 72nd |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 80% 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 Holly Ridge: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Surf City 4 mi · North Topsail Beach 5 mi · Sneads Ferry 9 mi · Topsail Beach 12 mi · Hampstead 16 mi · Jacksonville 18 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 Holly Ridge (34.5015, -77.5292); 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.