village in Illinois
Honey bee forage in Sparland, Illinois
Estimated forage here is better than about 10% of sites in Illinois. Against other Illinois sites it stands out most in spring (93rd percentile) and lowest in summer (9th). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (nearest 0.4 mi W, grown 2 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 0.6 mi S, grown 3 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Sparland?
- First forage: Feb 16 (early trees (maple, willow, poplar), dandelion)
- Main flow: Apr 1 to Aug 15, peaking early May (soybeans, early trees (maple, willow, poplar), clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Season ends: Sep 30
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Sparland, 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 30.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): early trees (maple, willow, poplar), clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, soybeans; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), summer-flowering shrubs; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Fall honey (September to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), garden flowers, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion; light amber, likely to set over some months
- Whole season (March to November): soybeans, early trees (maple, willow, poplar), clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion; 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 5,042 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.1 mi SW, blooms late Jun – late Aug (grown 3 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 5,292 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.7 mi NW, blooms early Jul – early Aug (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 Sparland
Mostly: Corn; Open water; Soybeans.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.15 mi E; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.15 mi E.
How Sparland ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 80th | 82nd | 78th | 50th |
| Illinois | 10th | 93rd | 9th | 88th |
| Interior River Valleys and Hills | 19th | 85th | 18th | 92nd |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 48% 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 Sparland: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Lacon 2 mi · Hopewell 3 mi · Henry 7 mi · Chillicothe 8 mi · Washburn 11 mi · Rome 11 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 Sparland (41.0296, -89.4412); 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.