town in Virginia

Honey bee forage in Lebanon, Virginia

Estimated forage here is better than about 91% of sites in Virginia. Against other Virginia sites it stands out most in spring (97th percentile) and lowest in summer (76th). Biggest nearby bee crops: corn (nearest 1.6 mi E, grown 1 of the last 5 years).

When is the honey flow in Lebanon?

  • First forage: Feb 16 (dandelion, early trees (maple, willow, poplar))
  • Main flow: Mar 16 to Jun 15, peaking late Apr (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion)
  • Season ends: Sep 30
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Lebanon, 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 16.

What the honey is made of

  • Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, early trees (maple, willow, poplar); extra light amber, likely to set over some months
  • Summer honey (July and August): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, garden flowers, summer-flowering shrubs; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
  • Fall honey (September to November): garden flowers, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster); light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
  • Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, early trees (maple, willow, poplar), garden flowers; 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 7 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.6 mi E, blooms late Jun – late 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 Lebanon

Mostly: Eastern Cool Temperate Pasture and Hayland; Southern and Central Appalachian Cove Forest; Southern Appalachian Oak Forest.

Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.08 mi S; pond, lake or river 0.11 mi S.

How Lebanon ranks

Against random land inOverallSpringSummerFall
Continental US76th94th59th47th
Virginia91st97th76th82nd
Ridge and Valley88th93rd73rd61st

Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.

About 59% 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 Lebanon: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.

Nearby

Cleveland 5 mi · Honaker 10 mi · Castlewood 12 mi · Dante 13 mi · St. Paul 13 mi · Meadowview 14 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 Lebanon (36.8995, -82.0785); 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.