community in Virginia
Honey bee forage in Hiwassee, Virginia
Estimated forage here is better than about 31% of sites in Virginia. Against other Virginia sites it stands out most in fall (72nd percentile) and lowest in summer (15th). Biggest nearby bee crops: millet (nearest 2.1 mi SW, grown 1 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 2.5 mi SW, grown 2 of the last 5 years); sorghum (nearest 3.5 mi W, grown 2 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Hiwassee?
- First forage: Feb 1 (early trees (maple, willow, poplar))
- Main flow: Mar 16 to Jun 15, peaking late Apr (early trees (maple, willow, poplar), summer-flowering trees (locust, linden), spring-flowering shrubs)
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Hiwassee, 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 19.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): early trees (maple, willow, poplar), summer-flowering trees (locust, linden), summer-flowering shrubs, clovers: white, alsike and red; light amber, likely to stay liquid a long time
- Summer honey (July and August): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), summer-flowering shrubs, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion; 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, dandelion, garden flowers; amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): early trees (maple, willow, poplar), summer-flowering trees (locust, linden), summer-flowering shrubs, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster); light amber, likely to stay liquid a long time
Nectar-source estimate (plants weighted by how much bees favor them), not a pollen analysis. Full honey estimate.
Bee crops within flight range
- Millet: about 4 acres in a typical year, nearest 2.1 mi SW, blooms late Jun – late Jul (grown 1 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 3 acres in a typical year, nearest 2.5 mi SW, blooms late Jun – late Jul (grown 2 of the last 5 years)
- Sorghum: about 4 acres in a typical year, nearest 3.5 mi W, blooms late Jun – late Jul (grown 2 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 Hiwassee
Mostly: Southern Appalachian Oak Forest; Southern and Central Appalachian Cove Forest; Eastern Cool Temperate Pasture and Hayland.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.06 mi S; open water 0.28 mi SE.
How Hiwassee ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 48th | 81st | 29th | 43rd |
| Virginia | 31st | 59th | 15th | 72nd |
| Blue Ridge | 23rd | 21st | 54th | 53rd |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 89% 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 Hiwassee: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Allisonia 3 mi · Draper 3 mi · Pulaski 7 mi · Snowville 7 mi · Dublin 9 mi · Radford 13 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 Hiwassee (36.9719, -80.6949); 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.