town in Tennessee
Honey bee forage in Dresden, Tennessee
Estimated forage here is better than about 83% of sites in Tennessee. Against other Tennessee sites it stands out most in summer (85th percentile) and lowest in fall (13th). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (right here, grown 2 of the last 5 years); corn (right here, grown 2 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Dresden?
- First forage: Feb 1 (dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard))
- Main flow: Mar 16 to Jul 15, peaking early Jun (soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion)
- Season ends: Aug 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Dresden, 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 Apr 2.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, summer-flowering trees (locust, linden); extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), dandelion; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): garden flowers, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), cotton; 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 311 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.3 mi SE, blooms late May – late Jul (grown 3 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 262 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.3 mi SE, blooms early Jun – early Jul (grown 2 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 Dresden
Mostly: Southeastern Native Ruderal Forest; Eastern Cool Temperate Pasture and Hayland; Soybeans.
Nearest mapped water: pond, lake or river 0.08 mi N; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.23 mi N.
How Dresden ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 84th | 93rd | 77th | 15th |
| Tennessee | 83rd | 71st | 85th | 13th |
| Mississippi Valley Loess Plains | 68th | 77th | 71st | 54th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 55% 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 Dresden: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Gleason 7 mi · Sharon 8 mi · Martin 9 mi · Greenfield 10 mi · Palmersville 11 mi · Cottage Grove 14 mi
All towns in Tennessee · 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 Dresden (36.2799, -88.6991); 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.