town in West Virginia
Honey bee forage in Union, West Virginia
Estimated forage here is better than about 93% of sites in West Virginia. Against other West Virginia sites it stands out most in summer (97th percentile) and lowest in spring (58th). Biggest nearby bee crops: corn (nearest 0.7 mi E, grown 1 of the last 5 years); alfalfa (nearest 0.6 mi E, grown 1 of the last 5 years); sorghum (nearest 3.3 mi SE, grown 3 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Union?
- First forage: Feb 16 (dandelion, early trees (maple, willow, poplar))
- Main flow: Apr 1 to Jun 30, peaking late Apr (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion)
- Season ends: Sep 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Union, 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 23.
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, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, garden flowers, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster); extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, early trees (maple, willow, poplar); 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 11 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.1 mi E, blooms late Jun – late Jul (grown 2 of the last 5 years)
- Alfalfa: about 2 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.6 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 Union
Mostly: Eastern Cool Temperate Pasture and Hayland; South-Central Interior Mesophytic Forest; Northeastern Interior Dry-Mesic Oak Forest.
Nearest mapped water: pond, lake or river 0.28 mi N; open water 0.28 mi N.
How Union ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 71st | 89th | 60th | 52nd |
| West Virginia | 93rd | 58th | 97th | 91st |
| Central Appalachians | 98th | 63rd | 95th | 84th |
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 Union: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Alderson 11 mi · Ronceverte 12 mi · Fairlea 14 mi · Lewisburg 16 mi · Peterstown 19 mi · White Sulphur Springs 19 mi
All towns in West 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 Union (37.5907, -80.54); 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.