community in Illinois
Honey bee forage in Olive Branch, Illinois
Estimated forage here is better than about 31% of sites in Illinois. Against other Illinois sites it stands out most in spring (98th percentile) and lowest in summer (12th). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (nearest 0.6 mi SE, grown 3 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 0.6 mi S, grown 3 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Olive Branch?
- First forage: Feb 1 (early trees (maple, willow, poplar))
- 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 Olive Branch, 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 7.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): soybeans, early trees (maple, willow, poplar), summer-flowering trees (locust, linden), clovers: white, alsike and red; light amber, likely to stay liquid a long time
- 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, early trees (maple, willow, poplar), summer-flowering trees (locust, linden), clovers: white, alsike and red; light amber, likely to stay liquid a long time
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 5,336 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.6 mi SE, blooms late May – late Jul (grown 3 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 283 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.8 mi E, blooms early Jun – early Jul (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 Olive Branch
Mostly: South-Central Interior Mesophytic Forest; Ozark-Ouachita Dry-Mesic Oak Forest; Soybeans.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.11 mi W; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.24 mi SW.
How Olive Branch ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 88th | 93rd | 81st | 18th |
| Illinois | 31st | 98th | 12th | 46th |
| Interior River Valleys and Hills | 44th | 96th | 22nd | 35th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 66% 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 Olive Branch: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Unity 5 mi · Tamms 6 mi · Thebes 6 mi · Pulaski 8 mi · Mounds 9 mi · McClure 10 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 Olive Branch (37.1837, -89.3495); 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.