community in Virginia
Honey bee forage in Mount Clifton, Virginia
Estimated forage here is better than about 81% of sites in Virginia. Against other Virginia sites it stands out most in summer (84th percentile) and lowest in spring (64th). Biggest nearby bee crops: corn (right here); soybeans (right here, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Mount Clifton?
- First forage: Feb 16 (dandelion, early trees (maple, willow, poplar))
- Main flow: Mar 16 to Jul 15, peaking late Apr (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion)
- Fall flow: Aug 1 to Aug 15 (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, soybeans)
- Season ends: Sep 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Mount Clifton, 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 21.
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, soybeans, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster); extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), dandelion, garden flowers; light amber, likely to set over some months
- Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, early trees (maple, willow, poplar), soybeans; 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 71 acres in a typical year, nearest 0 mi W, blooms late Jun – late Jul (grown 5 of the last 5 years)
- Soybeans: about 12 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.5 mi E, blooms early Jun – early Aug (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 Mount Clifton
Mostly: Northeastern Interior Dry-Mesic Oak Forest; Eastern Cool Temperate Pasture and Hayland; Northeastern North American Temperate Forest Plantation.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0 mi S; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0 mi S.
How Mount Clifton ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 70th | 82nd | 65th | 47th |
| Virginia | 81st | 64th | 84th | 82nd |
| Ridge and Valley | 75th | 63rd | 81st | 61st |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 70% 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 Mount Clifton: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Hudson Crossroads 2 mi · Forestville 3 mi · Mount Jackson 4 mi · Basye 4 mi · Conicville 5 mi · Quicksburg 5 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 Mount Clifton (38.7609, -78.7215); 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.