town in Virginia
Honey bee forage in Cleveland, Virginia
Estimated forage here is better than about 61% of sites in Virginia. Against other Virginia sites it stands out most in spring (87th percentile) and lowest in summer (27th). Biggest nearby bee crops: corn (nearest 3.0 mi S, grown 4 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Cleveland?
- First forage: Feb 1 (early trees (maple, willow, poplar), dandelion)
- Main flow: Mar 16 to May 31, peaking late Apr (early trees (maple, willow, poplar), summer-flowering trees (locust, linden), clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Cleveland, 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 14.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): early trees (maple, willow, poplar), clovers: white, alsike and red, summer-flowering trees (locust, linden), dandelion; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, summer-flowering shrubs; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Fall honey (September to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), clovers: white, alsike and red, garden flowers, dandelion; amber, likely to set over some months
- Whole season (March to November): early trees (maple, willow, poplar), clovers: white, alsike and red, summer-flowering trees (locust, linden), dandelion; 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
- Corn: about 8 acres in a typical year, nearest 3.2 mi S, blooms late Jun – 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 Cleveland
Mostly: Southern Appalachian Oak Forest; Eastern Cool Temperate Pasture and Hayland; Allegheny-Cumberland Dry Oak Forest and Woodland.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.07 mi NE; open water 0.15 mi NE.
How Cleveland ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 59th | 88th | 33rd | 46th |
| Virginia | 61st | 87th | 27th | 80th |
| Ridge and Valley | 55th | 79th | 26th | 59th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 85% 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 Cleveland: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Lebanon 5 mi · Dante 8 mi · Castlewood 9 mi · St. Paul 9 mi · Honaker 11 mi · Coeburn 18 mi
All towns in Virginia · 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 Cleveland (36.9437, -82.1526); 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.