city in Illinois
Honey bee forage in Grand Tower, Illinois
Estimated forage here is better than about 13% of sites in Illinois. Against other Illinois sites it stands out most in spring (80th percentile) and lowest in summer (16th). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (right here); corn (nearest 0.2 mi NE, grown 2 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Grand Tower?
- First forage: Feb 1 (early trees (maple, willow, poplar), dandelion)
- Main flow: May 16 to Jul 31, peaking early Jun (soybeans)
- Season ends: Aug 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Grand Tower, 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 10.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, early trees (maple, willow, poplar); light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): soybeans, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Fall honey (September to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), garden flowers; amber
- Whole season (March to November): soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, early trees (maple, willow, poplar); 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
- Soybeans: about 2,880 acres in a typical year, nearest 0 mi , blooms late May – late Jul (grown 5 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 103 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.2 mi NE, blooms early Jun – early Jul (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 Grand Tower
Mostly: Ozark-Ouachita Dry-Mesic Oak Forest; South-Central Interior Large Floodplain Forest; Soybeans.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.15 mi SW; pond, lake or river 0.36 mi NW.
How Grand Tower ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 81st | 66th | 85th | 33rd |
| Illinois | 13th | 80th | 16th | 68th |
| Interior River Valleys and Hills | 23rd | 61st | 28th | 65th |
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 Grand Tower: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Gorham 5 mi · Alto Pass 11 mi · Murphysboro 13 mi · Harrison 14 mi · Makanda 15 mi · Cobden 16 mi
All towns in Illinois · 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 Grand Tower (37.6417, -89.5067); 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.