city in South Carolina
Honey bee forage in Marion, South Carolina
Estimated forage here is better than about 99% of sites in South Carolina. Against other South Carolina sites it stands out most in spring (100th percentile) and lowest in fall (85th). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (nearest 0.6 mi NE, grown 2 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 0.5 mi E, grown 2 of the last 5 years); cotton (nearest 0.5 mi E, grown 2 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Marion?
- First forage: Jan 16 (dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Main flow: Feb 16 to Jun 15, peaking early Mar (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, soybeans)
- Season ends: Sep 30
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Marion, 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 11.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, soybeans, summer-flowering shrubs; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Summer honey (July and August): garden flowers, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, cotton; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Fall honey (September to November): garden flowers, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster); amber
- Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, soybeans, garden flowers; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
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 182 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.8 mi N, blooms late Apr – late Jun (grown 1 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 182 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.8 mi NW, blooms early May – early Jun (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 Marion
Mostly: Southeastern Native Ruderal Forest; Southeastern North American Temperate Forest Plantation; Atlantic Coastal Plain Peatland Pocosin and Canebrake Woodland.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.17 mi S; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.59 mi E.
Things to watch
- Heavily developed. About 83% of the land within a mile is developed. Less room for forage, and more neighbors near the hives.
- Bee crops nearby that are often sprayed. Cotton: insecticides used on about 39% of surveyed US acres (2025). Figures are from USDA's Agricultural Chemical Use Survey, matched by crop type from the crop map. The survey counts any insecticide use in the crop year (not seed treatments) and doesn't say when; ask nearby growers about spray timing.
How Marion ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 88th | 97th | 53rd | 36th |
| South Carolina | 99th | 100th | 91st | 85th |
| Southeastern Plains | 97th | 99th | 80th | 91st |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
The national forage map around Marion: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Rains 7 mi · Zion 7 mi · Mullins 8 mi · Sellers 8 mi · Floydale 10 mi · Centenary 11 mi
All towns in South 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 Marion (34.1787, -79.3957); 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.