community in New Hampshire
Honey bee forage in Charlestown, New Hampshire
Estimated forage here is better than about 76% of sites in New Hampshire. Against other New Hampshire sites it stands out most in fall (88th percentile) and lowest in spring (68th). Biggest nearby bee crops: corn (nearest 0.5 mi SW); alfalfa (nearest 2.1 mi S, grown 3 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Charlestown?
- First forage: Mar 1 (early trees (maple, willow, poplar), dandelion)
- Main flow: Apr 16 to Jul 15, peaking late May (clovers: white, alsike and red, early trees (maple, willow, poplar), dandelion)
- Fall flow: Aug 1 to Aug 15 (summer-flowering shrubs, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion)
- Season ends: Oct 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Charlestown, 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 May 17.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): early trees (maple, willow, poplar), dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, summer-flowering trees (locust, linden); light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): clovers: white, alsike and red, summer-flowering shrubs, dandelion, garden flowers; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Fall honey (September to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, garden flowers, summer-flowering shrubs; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, early trees (maple, willow, poplar), summer-flowering shrubs; 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
- Corn: about 181 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.6 mi SW, blooms late Jul – late Aug (grown 5 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 Charlestown
Mostly: Laurentian-Acadian Northern Hardwoods Forest; Laurentian-Acadian Pine-Hemlock Forest; Laurentian-Acadian Pine-Hemlock-Hardwood Forest.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.09 mi E; pond, lake or river 0.11 mi E.
How Charlestown ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 50th | 63rd | 62nd | 51st |
| New Hampshire | 76th | 68th | 76th | 88th |
| Northeastern Highlands | 59th | 53rd | 56th | 90th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 63% 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 Charlestown: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
North Walpole 6 mi · Walpole 11 mi · Claremont 11 mi · Newport 15 mi · Keene 20 mi · Plainfield 21 mi
All towns in New Hampshire · 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 Charlestown (43.2355, -72.4225); 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.