city in Tennessee
Honey bee forage in Germantown, Tennessee
Estimated forage here is better than about 91% of sites in Tennessee. Against other Tennessee sites it stands out most in spring (100th percentile) and lowest in summer (72nd). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (nearest 2.3 mi SW, grown 1 of the last 5 years); cotton (nearest 2.9 mi NW, grown 3 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 2.9 mi N, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Germantown?
- First forage: Feb 1 (dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Main flow: Feb 16 to May 31, peaking late Mar (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion)
- Fall flow: Jun 16 to Aug 15 (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, garden flowers)
- Season ends: Sep 30
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Germantown, 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 24.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, garden flowers, lindens / basswood; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): garden flowers, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion; 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, garden flowers, lindens / basswood; 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 139 acres in a typical year, nearest 2.9 mi NW, blooms early May – early Jul (grown 3 of the last 5 years)
- Cotton: about 25 acres in a typical year, nearest 2.9 mi NW, blooms early Jul – late Aug (grown 3 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 Germantown
Mostly: Developed, low intensity (houses and yards); Developed, open space (parks, large lots, lawns); Developed, medium intensity.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.11 mi NW; pond, lake or river 0.54 mi SW.
Things to watch
- Heavily developed. About 99% 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 Germantown ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 89th | 98th | 61st | 50th |
| Tennessee | 91st | 100th | 72nd | 96th |
| Mississippi Valley Loess Plains | 77th | 100th | 63rd | 99th |
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 Germantown: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Collierville 5 mi · Piperton 10 mi · Memphis 11 mi · Bartlett 11 mi · Lakeland 13 mi · Rossville 13 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 Germantown (35.082, -89.7826); 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.