city in Iowa
Honey bee forage in Decorah, Iowa
Estimated forage here is better than about 4% of sites in Iowa. Against other Iowa sites it stands out most in fall (99th percentile) and lowest in summer (4th). Biggest nearby bee crops: corn (nearest 0.8 mi E, grown 3 of the last 5 years); soybeans (nearest 0.9 mi NE, grown 1 of the last 5 years); alfalfa (nearest 0.9 mi N, grown 4 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Decorah?
- First forage: Mar 16 (dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Main flow: Apr 16 to Aug 15, peaking early May (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, soybeans)
- Season ends: Sep 30
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Decorah, 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 May 9.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, garden flowers, early trees (maple, willow, poplar); extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): clovers: white, alsike and red, soybeans, dandelion, garden flowers; 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); light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, soybeans, garden flowers; 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
- Corn: about 2,028 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.6 mi N, blooms early Jul – early Aug (grown 4 of the last 5 years)
- Soybeans: about 442 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.5 mi SW, blooms late Jun – late 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 Decorah
Mostly: North-Central Interior Dry-Mesic Oak Forest and Woodland; Eastern Cool Temperate Pasture and Hayland; Corn.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.06 mi N; open water 0.22 mi N.
Things to watch
- Heavily developed. About 62% of the land within a mile is developed. Less room for forage, and more neighbors near the hives.
How Decorah ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 77th | 70th | 79th | 72nd |
| Iowa | 4th | 91st | 4th | 99th |
| Driftless Area | 49th | 96th | 25th | 88th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 41% 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 Decorah: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Calmar 9 mi · Ridgeway 10 mi · Ossian 11 mi · Spillville 11 mi · Burr Oak 11 mi · Fort Atkinson 13 mi
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 Decorah (43.3016, -91.7848); 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.