town in Tennessee
Honey bee forage in Gleason, 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 (8th). Biggest nearby bee crops: corn (nearest 0.1 mi N, grown 2 of the last 5 years); soybeans (nearest 0.2 mi E, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Gleason?
- First forage: Feb 16 (dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Main flow: May 16 to Jul 15, peaking early Jun (soybeans)
- Season ends: Aug 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Gleason, 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, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): soybeans, 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, cotton, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster); extra light 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
- Corn: about 1,228 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.7 mi NE, blooms early Jun – early Jul (grown 1 of the last 5 years)
- Soybeans: about 1,181 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.9 mi NE, blooms late May – late Jul (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 Gleason
Mostly: Southeastern Native Ruderal Forest; Eastern Cool Temperate Pasture and Hayland; East Gulf Coastal Plain Small Stream and River Floodplain Forest.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.09 mi S; pond, lake or river 0.36 mi E.
How Gleason ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 94th | 94th | 88th | 10th |
| Tennessee | 94th | 81st | 93rd | 8th |
| Southeastern Plains | 100th | 92nd | 100th | 47th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 32% 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 Gleason: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Dresden 7 mi · McKenzie 8 mi · Henry 11 mi · Greenfield 12 mi · Sharon 12 mi · Palmersville 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 Gleason (36.2174, -88.6106); 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.