city in Iowa
Honey bee forage in Plano, Iowa
Estimated forage here is better than about 53% of sites in Iowa. Against other Iowa sites it stands out most in spring (91st percentile) and lowest in summer (25th). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (nearest 0.1 mi NW, grown 2 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 0.1 mi NW, grown 3 of the last 5 years); alfalfa (nearest 0.1 mi S, grown 4 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Plano?
- First forage: Mar 16 (dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Main flow: Jun 16 to Aug 15, peaking early Jul (soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Season ends: Sep 30
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Plano, 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 29.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, soybeans, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Summer honey (July and August): soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), garden flowers; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Whole season (March to November): soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion; 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 1,774 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.1 mi NW, blooms early Jun – late Aug (grown 2 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 202 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.1 mi NW, blooms early Jul – late 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 Plano
Mostly: Eastern Cool Temperate Pasture and Hayland; Corn; North-Central Interior Dry-Mesic Oak Forest and Woodland.
Nearest mapped water: open water 0.21 mi W; pond, lake or river 0.22 mi NE.
How Plano ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 92nd | 70th | 91st | 53rd |
| Iowa | 53rd | 91st | 25th | 79th |
| Central Irregular Plains | 79th | 36th | 75th | 79th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 50% 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 Plano: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Promise City 5 mi · Mystic 6 mi · Numa 6 mi · Seymour 6 mi · Rathbun 9 mi · Centerville 9 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 Plano (40.7556, -93.0469); 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.