community in North Carolina
Honey bee forage in Iron Station, North Carolina
Estimated forage here is better than about 56% of sites in North Carolina. Against other North Carolina sites it stands out most in spring (76th percentile) and lowest in fall (38th). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (nearest 0.4 mi SE, grown 2 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 0.4 mi SE, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Iron Station?
- First forage: Feb 1 (dandelion, early trees (maple, willow, poplar), clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Main flow: Mar 1 to Jun 15, peaking early Apr (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion)
- Fall flow: Jul 1 to Jul 15 (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, soybeans)
- Season ends: Aug 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Iron Station, 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 28.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), summer-flowering trees (locust, linden); extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), garden flowers; extra 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): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), summer-flowering trees (locust, linden); 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 12 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.4 mi SE, blooms early May – late Jul (grown 2 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 1 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.4 mi SE, blooms late May – late 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 Iron Station
Mostly: Eastern Cool Temperate Pasture and Hayland; Southern Piedmont Dry Oak Forest; Southern Piedmont Mesic Forest.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.08 mi SW; pond, lake or river 0.08 mi W.
How Iron Station ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 70th | 93rd | 40th | 13th |
| North Carolina | 56th | 76th | 45th | 38th |
| Piedmont | 79th | 86th | 69th | 64th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 75% 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 Iron Station: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Alexis 4 mi · Lincolnton 5 mi · High Shoals 5 mi · Stanley 8 mi · Crouse 9 mi · Lowesville 9 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 Iron Station (35.4539, -81.1547); 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.