community in North Carolina
Honey bee forage in Lowesville, North Carolina
Estimated forage here is better than about 57% of sites in North Carolina. Against other North Carolina sites it stands out most in spring (70th percentile) and lowest in summer (50th). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (right here, grown 2 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 2.8 mi N, grown 2 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Lowesville?
- First forage: Feb 1 (dandelion, early trees (maple, willow, poplar), clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Main flow: Mar 1 to Jun 15, peaking late Mar (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard))
- Fall flow: Jul 1 to Jul 15 (soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion)
- Season ends: Sep 30
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Lowesville, 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): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), soybeans; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, garden flowers, soybeans; 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), soybeans; 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 15 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.1 mi SW, blooms early May – late Jul (grown 3 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 1 acres in a typical year, nearest 2.8 mi N, blooms late May – late 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 Lowesville
Mostly: Southern Piedmont Mesic Forest; Southeastern Native Ruderal Forest; Southern Piedmont Dry Oak-(Pine) Forest.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.02 mi S; open water 0.43 mi NW.
How Lowesville ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 70th | 92nd | 43rd | 18th |
| North Carolina | 57th | 70th | 50th | 53rd |
| Piedmont | 80th | 82nd | 74th | 80th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 62% 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 Lowesville: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Westport 5 mi · Stanley 7 mi · Alexis 7 mi · Mount Holly 8 mi · Cornelius 8 mi · Huntersville 8 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 Lowesville (35.4245, -81.0052); 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.