community in Virginia
Honey bee forage in Laurel Park, Virginia
Estimated forage here is better than about 64% of sites in Virginia. Against other Virginia sites it stands out most in spring (87th percentile) and lowest in summer (41st). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (nearest 2.8 mi SW, grown 1 of the last 5 years); sorghum (nearest 3.7 mi SE, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Laurel Park?
- First forage: Feb 1 (early trees (maple, willow, poplar), dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard))
- Main flow: Mar 16 to Jun 15, peaking early Apr (clovers: white, alsike and red, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), dandelion)
- Season ends: Sep 30
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Laurel Park, 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 8.
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, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red, 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, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), dandelion, summer-flowering trees (locust, linden); extra 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
- Soybeans: about 10 acres in a typical year, nearest 2.8 mi SW, blooms late May – late Jul (grown 1 of the last 5 years)
- Sorghum: about 1 acres in a typical year, nearest 3.7 mi SE, blooms early Jun – early Jul (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 Laurel Park
Mostly: Southern Piedmont Mesic Forest; Southeastern Native Ruderal Forest; Southern Piedmont Dry Oak Forest.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.13 mi W; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.26 mi SW.
How Laurel Park ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 60th | 89th | 38th | 30th |
| Virginia | 64th | 87th | 41st | 47th |
| Piedmont | 63rd | 72nd | 65th | 92nd |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 77% 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 Laurel Park: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Chatmoss 1 mi · Martinsville 4 mi · Villa Heights 6 mi · Collinsville 7 mi · Sandy Level 9 mi · Ridgeway 9 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 Laurel Park (36.6885, -79.7866); 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.