town in North Carolina
Honey bee forage in Stem, North Carolina
Estimated forage here is better than about 26% 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 0.8 mi E, grown 2 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 1.0 mi E, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Stem?
- First forage: Feb 1 (dandelion, early trees (maple, willow, poplar), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard))
- Main flow: Mar 1 to Jun 15, peaking early Apr (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, summer-flowering trees (locust, linden))
- Fall flow: Jul 1 to Jul 15 (roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red, soybeans)
- Season ends: Aug 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Stem, 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 31.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, summer-flowering trees (locust, linden), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): clovers: white, alsike and red, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), dandelion, soybeans; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), garden flowers; 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 6 acres in a typical year, nearest 1 mi E, blooms late May – late Jul (grown 1 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 4 acres in a typical year, nearest 1 mi E, blooms early Jun – 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 Stem
Mostly: Southeastern Native Ruderal Forest; Southern Piedmont Dry Oak Forest; Southern Piedmont Mesic Forest.
Nearest mapped water: pond, lake or river 0.06 mi SW; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.09 mi S.
How Stem ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 55th | 84th | 35th | 14th |
| North Carolina | 26th | 37th | 36th | 41st |
| Piedmont | 54th | 59th | 59th | 67th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 78% 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 Stem: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Butner 4 mi · Creedmoor 5 mi · Rougemont 11 mi · Oxford 12 mi · Gorman 12 mi · Kittrell 16 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 Stem (36.1957, -78.7222); 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.