town in North Carolina
Honey bee forage in Spring Hope, North Carolina
Estimated forage here is better than about 75% of sites in North Carolina. Against other North Carolina sites it stands out most in spring (78th percentile) and lowest in fall (41st). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (nearest 0.3 mi E, grown 3 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 0.4 mi E, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Spring Hope?
- First forage: Feb 1 (dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard))
- Main flow: Mar 16 to Jul 15, peaking late May (soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion)
- Season ends: Sep 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Spring Hope, 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 29.
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, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion; extra light amber, likely to set over some 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 55 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.4 mi E, blooms early May – late Jul (grown 3 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 40 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.4 mi E, 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 Spring Hope
Mostly: Southeastern Native Ruderal Forest; Southeastern North American Temperate Forest Plantation; Southern Piedmont Mesic Forest.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.15 mi S; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.33 mi SE.
How Spring Hope ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 78th | 93rd | 64th | 14th |
| North Carolina | 75th | 78th | 77th | 41st |
| Southeastern Plains | 86th | 89th | 88th | 58th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 57% 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 Spring Hope: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Momeyer 4 mi · Lake Royale 5 mi · Bunn 8 mi · Nashville 9 mi · Castalia 10 mi · Bailey 11 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 Spring Hope (35.9441, -78.109); 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.