town in Utah
Honey bee forage in Charleston, Utah
Estimated forage here is better than about 97% of sites in Utah. Spring, summer and fall all rank about the same against other Utah sites. Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (right here, grown 3 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Charleston?
- First forage: Apr 1 (dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Main flow: May 1 to Aug 31, peaking early Jul (alfalfa, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion)
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Charleston, 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 May 19.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, spring-flowering shrubs, summer-flowering shrubs; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): alfalfa, clovers: white, alsike and red, summer-flowering shrubs, spotted and diffuse knapweed; white, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Fall honey (September to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, spotted and diffuse knapweed, dandelion, alfalfa; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): alfalfa, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, spotted and diffuse knapweed; extra light amber, likely to set within weeks to a few months
Nectar-source estimate (plants weighted by how much bees favor them), not a pollen analysis. Full honey estimate.
Bee crops within flight range
- Alfalfa: about 458 acres in a typical year, nearest 0 mi , blooms early Jul – early Sep (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 Charleston
Mostly: Rocky Mountain Gambel Oak-Mixed Montane Shrubland; Inter-Mountain Basins Big Sagebrush Shrubland; Western Cool Temperate Pasture and Hayland.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.11 mi W; pond, lake or river 0.25 mi SE.
How Charleston ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 71st | 50th | 80th | 85th |
| Utah | 97th | 96th | 95th | 88th |
| Wasatch and Uinta Mountains | 97th | 97th | 91st | 82nd |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
The national forage map around Charleston: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Daniel 3 mi · Midway 4 mi · Interlaken 5 mi · Wallsburg 6 mi · Heber 6 mi · Sundance 9 mi
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 Charleston (40.4673, -111.4595); 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.