town in North Carolina
Honey bee forage in Lillington, North Carolina
Estimated forage here is better than about 68% of sites in North Carolina. Spring, summer and fall all rank about the same against other North Carolina sites. Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (nearest 0.3 mi E, grown 2 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 0.4 mi E, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Lillington?
- First forage: Jan 16 (dandelion, early trees (maple, willow, poplar), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard))
- Main flow: Feb 16 to Jul 15, peaking late Mar (soybeans, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Season ends: Sep 30
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Lillington, 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 22.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): soybeans, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red, summer-flowering trees (locust, linden); extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): soybeans, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), garden flowers, clovers: white, alsike and red; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Fall honey (September to November): garden flowers, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster); amber
- Whole season (March to November): soybeans, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red, 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 51 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.3 mi E, blooms early May – 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 Lillington
Mostly: Southeastern Native Ruderal Forest; Atlantic Coastal Plain Fall-line Sandhills Longleaf Pine Woodland; Southeastern North American Temperate Forest Plantation.
Nearest mapped water: open water 0 mi S; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.09 mi SE.
How Lillington ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 76th | 92nd | 55th | 23rd |
| North Carolina | 68th | 71st | 64th | 63rd |
| Southeastern Plains | 82nd | 87th | 81st | 80th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 55% 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 Lillington: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Buies Creek 4 mi · Mamers 7 mi · Angier 8 mi · Bunnlevel 8 mi · Coats 8 mi · Erwin 10 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 Lillington (35.4131, -78.8117); 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.