city in Tennessee
Honey bee forage in Parsons, Tennessee
Estimated forage here is better than about 59% of sites in Tennessee. Against other Tennessee sites it stands out most in spring (77th percentile) and lowest in summer and fall (52nd). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (nearest 0.7 mi SE, grown 2 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 0.7 mi SE, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Parsons?
- First forage: Feb 1 (dandelion, early trees (maple, willow, poplar), clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Main flow: Mar 1 to Jun 15, peaking early Apr (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion)
- Fall flow: Jul 1 to Jul 15 (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, soybeans)
- Season ends: Sep 30
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Parsons, 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 29.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), summer-flowering trees (locust, linden); extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, garden flowers, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), garden flowers; amber
- Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), summer-flowering trees (locust, linden); 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 5 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.7 mi SE, blooms early May – late 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 Parsons
Mostly: Southern Interior Low Plateau Dry-Mesic Oak Forest; East Gulf Coastal Plain Northern Dry Upland Hardwood Forest; Eastern Cool Temperate Pasture and Hayland.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.37 mi NE; open water 0.47 mi N.
How Parsons ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 74th | 94th | 44th | 33rd |
| Tennessee | 59th | 77th | 52nd | 52nd |
| Southeastern Plains | 80th | 90th | 75th | 89th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 64% 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 Parsons: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Decaturville 5 mi · Darden 6 mi · Chesterfield 8 mi · Scotts Hill 12 mi · Lexington 14 mi · Holladay 15 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 Parsons (35.6512, -88.1231); 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.