city in Tennessee
Honey bee forage in Tusculum, Tennessee
Estimated forage here is better than about 88% of sites in Tennessee. Against other Tennessee sites it stands out most in spring (98th percentile) and lowest in fall (22nd). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (right here, grown 4 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 0.4 mi SE, grown 3 of the last 5 years); squash (nearest 0.4 mi NE, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Tusculum?
- First forage: Feb 16 (dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Main flow: Mar 1 to Jul 15, peaking early Apr (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, soybeans)
- Season ends: Sep 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Tusculum, 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 7.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, soybeans; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Summer honey (July and August): clovers: white, alsike and red, soybeans, dandelion, garden flowers; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): garden flowers, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), squash; amber
- Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, soybeans, garden flowers; 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 138 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.3 mi E, blooms late May – late 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 Tusculum
Mostly: Eastern Cool Temperate Pasture and Hayland; Developed, open space (parks, large lots, lawns); Northern & Central Native Ruderal Forest.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.2 mi NW; pond, lake or river 0.35 mi E.
Things to watch
- Bee crops nearby that are often sprayed. Squash: insecticides used on about 71% of surveyed US acres (2024). Figures are from USDA's Agricultural Chemical Use Survey, matched by crop type from the crop map. The survey counts any insecticide use in the crop year (not seed treatments) and doesn't say when; ask nearby growers about spray timing.
How Tusculum ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 87th | 97th | 76th | 20th |
| Tennessee | 88th | 98th | 84th | 22nd |
| Ridge and Valley | 100th | 99th | 89th | 10th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 49% 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 Tusculum: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Greeneville 4 mi · Baileyton 11 mi · Telford 12 mi · Mosheim 12 mi · Embreeville 17 mi · Jonesborough 17 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 Tusculum (36.175, -82.7454); 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.