community in Virginia
Honey bee forage in Nellysford, Virginia
Estimated forage here is better than about 35% of sites in Virginia. Against other Virginia sites it stands out most in fall (90th percentile) and lowest in summer (8th). Biggest nearby bee crops: corn (nearest 2.4 mi S, grown 4 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Nellysford?
- First forage: Feb 1 (early trees (maple, willow, poplar))
- Main flow: Mar 16 to May 31, 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 Nellysford, 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 15.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): early trees (maple, willow, poplar), summer-flowering trees (locust, linden), summer-flowering shrubs, spring-flowering shrubs; 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); amber
- Whole season (March to November): early trees (maple, willow, poplar), summer-flowering trees (locust, linden), fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), summer-flowering shrubs; 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
- Corn: about 4 acres in a typical year, nearest 2.4 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 Nellysford
Mostly: Northeastern Interior Dry-Mesic Oak Forest; Southern and Central Appalachian Cove Forest; Northern & Central Native Ruderal Forest.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.4 mi NE; creek, wetland or wet meadow 1.14 mi SW.
How Nellysford ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 49th | 83rd | 26th | 50th |
| Virginia | 35th | 66th | 8th | 90th |
| Blue Ridge | 27th | 27th | 45th | 87th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 93% 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 Nellysford: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Wintergreen 2 mi · Sherando 5 mi · Lyndhurst 8 mi · Afton 8 mi · Waynesboro 10 mi · Stuarts Draft 10 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 Nellysford (37.9235, -78.8935); 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.