community in Tennessee
Honey bee forage in Walnut Grove, Tennessee
Estimated forage here is better than about 44% of sites in Tennessee. Against other Tennessee sites it stands out most in spring (60th percentile) and lowest in fall (30th). Biggest nearby bee crops: corn (nearest 2.4 mi E, grown 2 of the last 5 years); soybeans (nearest 2.4 mi E, grown 1 of the last 5 years); cotton (nearest 1.1 mi NW, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Walnut Grove?
- First forage: Jan 16 (dandelion, early trees (maple, willow, poplar), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard))
- Main flow: Feb 16 to May 31, peaking early Apr (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard))
- Fall flow: Jun 16 to Jun 30 (roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion)
- Season ends: Aug 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Walnut Grove, 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 26.
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, likely to set over some months
- Summer honey (July and August): clovers: white, alsike and red, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), dandelion, 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, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), summer-flowering trees (locust, linden); 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
- Corn: about 62 acres in a typical year, nearest 2.7 mi E, blooms late May – late Jun (grown 2 of the last 5 years)
- Soybeans: about 14 acres in a typical year, nearest 2.4 mi E, blooms early May – early Jul (grown 1 of the last 5 years)
- Cotton: about 2 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.1 mi NW, blooms early Jul – late Aug (grown 1 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 Walnut Grove
Mostly: East Gulf Coastal Plain Northern Dry Upland Hardwood Forest; Southeastern North American Temperate Forest Plantation; Eastern Warm Temperate Pasture and Hayland.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.08 mi SE; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.09 mi SE.
Things to watch
- Bee crops nearby that are often sprayed. Cotton: insecticides used on about 39% of surveyed US acres (2025). 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 Walnut Grove ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 65th | 91st | 34th | 24th |
| Tennessee | 44th | 60th | 34th | 30th |
| Southeastern Plains | 69th | 85th | 66th | 80th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 91% 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 Walnut Grove: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Counce 12 mi · Nixon 12 mi · Olivet 13 mi · Childers Hill 15 mi · Savannah 15 mi · Shiloh 18 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 Walnut Grove (35.0479, -88.0641); 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.