city in Tennessee
Honey bee forage in Gilt Edge, Tennessee
Estimated forage here is better than about 94% of sites in Tennessee. Against other Tennessee sites it stands out most in summer (93rd percentile) and lowest in fall (7th). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (right here, grown 3 of the last 5 years); corn (right here, grown 2 of the last 5 years); cotton (nearest 1.4 mi NE, grown 3 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Gilt Edge?
- First forage: Feb 16 (roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), dandelion, early trees (maple, willow, poplar))
- Main flow: May 16 to Jul 15, peaking early Jun (soybeans)
- Season ends: Aug 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Gilt Edge, 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 26.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): soybeans, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), summer-flowering trees (locust, linden), clovers: white, alsike and red; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): soybeans, cotton, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); extra light amber, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Fall honey (September to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), garden flowers, cotton; amber, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Whole season (March to November): soybeans, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), summer-flowering trees (locust, linden), clovers: white, alsike and red; 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 6,045 acres in a typical year, nearest 0 mi , blooms early May – early Jul (grown 3 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 45 acres in a typical year, nearest 0 mi N, blooms late May – late Jun (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 Gilt Edge
Mostly: East Gulf Coastal Plain Northern Loess Bluff Forest; Southeastern Native Ruderal Forest; Soybeans.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.08 mi NW; pond, lake or river 0.15 mi NW.
Things to watch
- 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 Gilt Edge ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 93rd | 93rd | 88th | 10th |
| Tennessee | 94th | 69th | 93rd | 7th |
| Mississippi Valley Loess Plains | 84th | 76th | 80th | 41st |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 45% 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 Gilt Edge: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Burlison 3 mi · Randolph 3 mi · Garland 6 mi · Munford 6 mi · Brighton 7 mi · Atoka 8 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 Gilt Edge (35.5341, -89.8307); 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.