town in Tennessee

Honey bee forage in Surgoinsville, Tennessee

Estimated forage here is better than about 72% of sites in Tennessee. Against other Tennessee sites it stands out most in spring (95th percentile) and lowest in fall (28th). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (nearest 0.5 mi SW, grown 3 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 1.4 mi NW, grown 1 of the last 5 years).

When is the honey flow in Surgoinsville?

  • First forage: Feb 1 (dandelion, early trees (maple, willow, poplar))
  • Main flow: Mar 1 to Jun 15, peaking early Apr (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion)
  • Season ends: Aug 31
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Surgoinsville, 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 6.

What the honey is made of

  • Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, early trees (maple, willow, poplar), summer-flowering trees (locust, linden); extra light amber, likely to set over some months
  • Summer honey (July and August): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, garden flowers, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster); 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, early trees (maple, willow, poplar), fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster); extra light amber, likely to set over some months

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 16 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.5 mi SW, blooms late May – late Jul (grown 3 of the last 5 years)
  • Corn: about 36 acres in a typical year, nearest 2 mi E, blooms early Jun – early Jul (grown 4 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 Surgoinsville

Mostly: Eastern Cool Temperate Pasture and Hayland; Southern Appalachian Oak Forest; Allegheny-Cumberland Dry Oak Forest and Woodland.

Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.21 mi SW; pond, lake or river 0.68 mi SE.

How Surgoinsville ranks

Against random land inOverallSpringSummerFall
Continental US78th97th54th23rd
Tennessee72nd95th63rd28th
Ridge and Valley91st98th68th13th

Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.

About 73% 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 Surgoinsville: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.

Nearby

Church Hill 9 mi · Rogersville 9 mi · Baileyton 10 mi · Mount Carmel 12 mi · Fall Branch 14 mi · Sullivan Gardens 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 Surgoinsville (36.4724, -82.8609); 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.