community in Virginia
Honey bee forage in Spotsylvania Courthouse, Virginia
Estimated forage here is better than about 79% of sites in Virginia. Against other Virginia sites it stands out most in spring (88th percentile) and lowest in fall (43rd). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (nearest 0.6 mi N, grown 4 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 0.6 mi N, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Spotsylvania Courthouse?
- First forage: Feb 1 (dandelion, early trees (maple, willow, poplar), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard))
- Main flow: Mar 16 to Jun 15, peaking early Apr (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, summer-flowering trees (locust, linden))
- Fall flow: Jul 1 to Jul 31 (soybeans, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Season ends: Sep 30
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Spotsylvania Courthouse, 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 10.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, summer-flowering trees (locust, linden), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), soybeans; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): garden flowers, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion; amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): 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
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 32 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.4 mi SW, blooms late May – late Jul (grown 3 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 13 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.7 mi NE, blooms early Jun – early Jul (grown 3 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 Spotsylvania Courthouse
Mostly: Southeastern Native Ruderal Forest; Southern Piedmont Mesic Forest; Southern Piedmont Dry Oak Forest.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.13 mi SW; pond, lake or river 0.22 mi NW.
How Spotsylvania Courthouse ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 68th | 89th | 54th | 26th |
| Virginia | 79th | 88th | 69th | 43rd |
| Piedmont | 75th | 73rd | 86th | 90th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 62% 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 Spotsylvania Courthouse: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Fredericksburg 9 mi · Lake Wilderness 10 mi · Chatham Heights 11 mi · Ferry Farm 11 mi · Stafford Lakes Village 11 mi · Falmouth 11 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 Spotsylvania Courthouse (38.1994, -77.589); 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.