community in Tennessee
Honey bee forage in Hunter, Tennessee
Estimated forage here is better than about 14% of sites in Tennessee. Against other Tennessee sites it stands out most in fall (99th percentile) and lowest in spring (14th). Biggest nearby bee crops: corn (nearest 2.6 mi S, grown 4 of the last 5 years); sunflower (nearest 2.7 mi S, grown 1 of the last 5 years); soybeans (nearest 2.6 mi S, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Hunter?
- First forage: Feb 1 (early trees (maple, willow, poplar))
- Main flow: Mar 16 to Jun 15, peaking late Apr (early trees (maple, willow, poplar), summer-flowering trees (locust, linden), spring-flowering shrubs)
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Hunter, 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 18.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): early trees (maple, willow, poplar), summer-flowering trees (locust, linden), summer-flowering shrubs, spring-flowering shrubs; light amber, likely to stay liquid a long time
- Summer honey (July and August): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), summer-flowering shrubs, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Fall honey (September to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), clovers: white, alsike and red; amber, likely to set over some months
- Whole season (March to November): early trees (maple, willow, poplar), summer-flowering trees (locust, linden), fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), summer-flowering shrubs; light amber, likely to stay liquid a long time
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 26 acres in a typical year, nearest 2.6 mi S, blooms late Jun – late Jul (grown 4 of the last 5 years)
- Sunflower: about 2 acres in a typical year, nearest 2.7 mi S, blooms early Jun – early Aug (grown 1 of the last 5 years)
- Soybeans: about 12 acres in a typical year, nearest 3.2 mi S, blooms early Jun – early 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 Hunter
Mostly: Southern Appalachian Oak Forest; Southern and Central Appalachian Cove Forest; Eastern Cool Temperate Pasture and Hayland.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.18 mi NW; creek, wetland or wet meadow 1.26 mi SE.
How Hunter ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 48th | 78th | 31st | 54th |
| Tennessee | 14th | 14th | 30th | 99th |
| Blue Ridge | 23rd | 15th | 59th | 98th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 93% 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 Hunter: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Biltmore 5 mi · Elizabethton 6 mi · Butler 7 mi · Valley Forge 7 mi · Bluff City 8 mi · Watauga 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 Hunter (36.4019, -82.1506); 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.