city in Idaho
Honey bee forage in Cottonwood, Idaho
Estimated forage here is better than about 95% of sites in Idaho. Against other Idaho sites it stands out most in summer (93rd percentile) and lowest in fall (65th). Biggest nearby bee crops: canola (nearest 0.5 mi W, grown 1 of the last 5 years); alfalfa (nearest 0.4 mi SE); chickpeas (nearest 0.7 mi SE, grown 2 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Cottonwood?
- First forage: Apr 1 (dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Main flow: May 16 to Aug 31, peaking late Jul (alfalfa, canola, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Season ends: Oct 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Cottonwood, 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 21.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): canola, dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); extra light amber, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Summer honey (July and August): alfalfa, canola, clovers: white, alsike and red, spotted and diffuse knapweed; white, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Fall honey (September to November): spotted and diffuse knapweed, alfalfa, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion; extra light amber, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Whole season (March to November): alfalfa, canola, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion; extra light amber, likely to set within weeks to a few months
Nectar-source estimate (plants weighted by how much bees favor them), not a pollen analysis. Full honey estimate.
Bee crops within flight range
- Canola: about 78 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.8 mi E, blooms early May – late Jul (grown 1 of the last 5 years)
- Alfalfa: about 132 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.4 mi SE, blooms early Jul – early Sep (grown 5 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 Cottonwood
Mostly: Alfalfa; Interior Western North American Temperate Ruderal Grassland; Winter Wheat.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.2 mi SW; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.38 mi SE.
Things to watch
- Lots of crops with little or no bee value. About 45% of the land within 3 miles is in crops bees get little from (such as wheat and other grains).
How Cottonwood ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 79th | 49th | 85th | 85th |
| Idaho | 95th | 87th | 93rd | 65th |
| Columbia Plateau | 88th | 51st | 94th | 88th |
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 Cottonwood: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Ferdinand 7 mi · Nezperce 14 mi · Grangeville 14 mi · Craigmont 14 mi · Stites 18 mi · Winchester 19 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 Cottonwood (46.051, -116.3498); 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.