town in North Carolina
Honey bee forage in Sharpsburg, North Carolina
Estimated forage here is better than about 90% of sites in North Carolina. Against other North Carolina sites it stands out most in spring and summer (87th percentile) and lowest in fall (47th). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (nearest 0.2 mi W, grown 3 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Sharpsburg?
- First forage: Feb 1 (dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Main flow: Mar 16 to Jul 15, peaking late May (soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion)
- Season ends: Aug 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Sharpsburg, 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 26.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): soybeans, cotton, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), garden flowers; extra light amber, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Fall honey (September to November): garden flowers, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), cotton; light amber, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Whole season (March to November): soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); 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 66 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.7 mi SW, blooms early May – early Jul (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 Sharpsburg
Mostly: Southeastern Native Ruderal Forest; Developed, open space (parks, large lots, lawns); Soybeans.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.39 mi E; pond, lake or river 0.43 mi SW.
How Sharpsburg ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 85th | 94th | 74th | 16th |
| North Carolina | 90th | 87th | 87th | 47th |
| Southeastern Plains | 94th | 92nd | 93rd | 64th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 43% 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 Sharpsburg: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Elm City 5 mi · Rocky Mount 7 mi · Nashville 10 mi · Dortches 10 mi · Wilson 11 mi · Macclesfield 12 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 Sharpsburg (35.8664, -77.8303); 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.