village in New York
Honey bee forage in Philadelphia, New York
Estimated forage here is better than about 90% of sites in New York. Spring, summer and fall all rank about the same against other New York sites. Biggest nearby bee crops: corn (nearest 0.7 mi NW, grown 3 of the last 5 years); soybeans (nearest 0.7 mi NW, grown 1 of the last 5 years); alfalfa (nearest 1.4 mi SE, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Philadelphia?
- First forage: Mar 16 (early trees (maple, willow, poplar), dandelion)
- Main flow: Apr 16 to Jul 31, peaking late May (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, early trees (maple, willow, poplar))
- Fall flow: Aug 16 to Aug 31 (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, soybeans)
- Season ends: Oct 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Philadelphia, 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 16.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, early trees (maple, willow, poplar), 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, dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), soybeans; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), garden flowers; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, early trees (maple, willow, poplar), 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
- Corn: about 69 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.7 mi NW, blooms late Jul – late Aug (grown 3 of the last 5 years)
- Soybeans: about 28 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.7 mi NW, blooms early Jul – early Sep (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 Philadelphia
Mostly: Laurentian-Acadian Northern Hardwoods Forest; Eastern Cool Temperate Pasture and Hayland; Northern & Central Ruderal Meadow.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.15 mi E; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.15 mi E.
How Philadelphia ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 75th | 76th | 75th | 72nd |
| New York | 90th | 84th | 82nd | 91st |
| Eastern Great Lakes Lowlands | 73rd | 82nd | 57th | 82nd |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 66% 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 Philadelphia: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Antwerp 6 mi · Theresa 6 mi · Evans Mills 7 mi · Fort Drum 8 mi · Deferiet 9 mi · Great Bend 9 mi
All towns in New York · 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 Philadelphia (44.154, -75.7098); 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.