community in Tennessee
Honey bee forage in Pelham, Tennessee
Estimated forage here is better than about 54% of sites in Tennessee. Against other Tennessee sites it stands out most in fall (77th percentile) and lowest in spring (34th). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (nearest 0.3 mi SE, grown 3 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 0.3 mi SE, grown 2 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Pelham?
- First forage: Jan 16 (early trees (maple, willow, poplar), dandelion)
- Main flow: Mar 1 to Jul 15, peaking early Apr (soybeans, early trees (maple, willow, poplar), clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Pelham, 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, early trees (maple, willow, poplar), clovers: white, alsike and red, summer-flowering trees (locust, linden); light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): soybeans, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion; light amber, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster); amber
- Whole season (March to November): soybeans, early trees (maple, willow, poplar), clovers: white, alsike and red, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster); 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 45 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.5 mi E, blooms late May – late Jul (grown 2 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 1,237 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.9 mi NW, blooms early Jun – early Jul (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 Pelham
Mostly: Allegheny-Cumberland Dry Oak Forest and Woodland; Eastern Cool Temperate Pasture and Hayland; South-Central Interior Mesophytic Forest.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.06 mi W; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.85 mi NE.
How Pelham ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 71st | 85th | 59th | 42nd |
| Tennessee | 54th | 34th | 70th | 77th |
| Southwestern Appalachians | 84th | 48th | 96th | 75th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 80% 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 Pelham: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Hillsboro 7 mi · Monteagle 7 mi · Tracy City 8 mi · Coalmont 9 mi · Sewanee 10 mi · Altamont 10 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 Pelham (35.3341, -85.8703); 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.