city in Iowa

Honey bee forage in Morrison, Iowa

Estimated forage here is better than about 97% of sites in Iowa. Against other Iowa sites it stands out most in summer (81st percentile) and lowest in fall (44th). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (nearest 0.1 mi W, grown 3 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 0.1 mi W, grown 2 of the last 5 years); popcorn and ornamental corn (nearest 1.7 mi E, grown 1 of the last 5 years).

When is the honey flow in Morrison?

  • First forage: Apr 1 (dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red)
  • Main flow: Jul 1 to Aug 31, peaking late Jul (soybeans)
  • Season ends: Aug 31
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Morrison, 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 8.

What the honey is made of

  • Spring honey (March to June): soybeans, dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); extra light amber, likely to set over some months
  • Summer honey (July and August): soybeans
  • Fall honey (September to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster); light amber, likely to set over some months
  • Whole season (March to November): soybeans, dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); 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

  • Soybeans: about 5,474 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.1 mi W, blooms late Jun – late Aug (grown 3 of the last 5 years)
  • Corn: about 8,643 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.1 mi W, blooms early Jul – early Aug (grown 2 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 Morrison

Mostly: Corn; Soybeans.

Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.22 mi N; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.23 mi E.

How Morrison ranks

Against random land inOverallSpringSummerFall
Continental US97th35th98th26th
Iowa97th59th81st44th
Western Corn Belt Plains97th69th79th40th

Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.

The national forage map around Morrison: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.

Nearby

Reinbeck 4 mi · Grundy Center 5 mi · Lincoln 6 mi · Holland 8 mi · Dike 9 mi · Gladbrook 11 mi

All towns in Iowa · 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 Morrison (42.343, -92.6733); 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.