National Geographic

N``````Linden``````Sumac``````Apple``````Citylimits``````Recorded beehives(data availablefor Boston only)``````Urban green space``````Westernhoneybee,actual size|EXPLORE |CITIESLike wine and beer, honey has an arrayof flavor notes that can be tricky to pin-point. A honey’s taste is influenced bythe types of nectar and pollen bees col-lect. But until recently scientists couldn’tsay precisely what bees fed on or where.Now, by sequencing the geneticmaterial in honey, scientists can tellwhich plants are in the sweet stuff. NoahWilson-Rich, founder of the Best BeesCompany, an urban beekeeping service,``````A DOLLOPOF SWEETSCIENCE``````By Kelsey Nowakowski``````heads a study profiling the DNA ofhoney from major U.S. cities.Samples are taken from hives in citycenters. DNA tests reveal how manyplant species honeybees visit withinthe foraging range of three to five miles,showing what plants they prefer. Wilson-Rich says higher plant diversity in urbanareas could be one reason that city hivesare healthier and more productive thanmany rural ones.``````*RESULTS BASED ON PRELIMINARY DATA. PLANTS NOT DRAWN TO SCALE†CITIES NOT DRAWN TO SCALE``````BOSTON (total land area: 48 sq mi)†The number of managed hives in Boston grew from just a handful inpast decades to more than 175 today. One honey sample from the cityFRQWDLQHGSODQWVSHFLHVŞGLYHUVLW\WKDWKHOSVXUEDQEHHVƄRXULVK``````Top threeplants forhoneybees*