city in Kansas
Honey bee forage in Cottonwood Falls, Kansas
Estimated forage here is better than about 85% of sites in Kansas. Against other Kansas sites it stands out most in spring (90th percentile) and lowest in summer (75th). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (nearest 0.5 mi NW); corn (nearest 0.5 mi N, grown 2 of the last 5 years); alfalfa (nearest 1.1 mi NW, grown 3 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Cottonwood Falls?
- First forage: Feb 16 (dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard))
- Main flow: Apr 1 to Jul 31, peaking early Jun (soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion)
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Cottonwood Falls, 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 15.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Summer honey (July and August): soybeans, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red; light amber, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), garden flowers, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion; amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster); 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 1,010 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.6 mi NE, blooms early Jun – early Aug (grown 3 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 173 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.6 mi NE, blooms late Jun – late 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 Cottonwood Falls
Mostly: Southeastern Great Plains Tallgrass Prairie; Eastern Cool Temperate Pasture and Hayland; Soybeans.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.34 mi W; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.36 mi NW.
How Cottonwood Falls ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 88th | 82nd | 85th | 71st |
| Kansas | 85th | 90th | 75th | 77th |
| Flint Hills | 92nd | 94th | 79th | 21st |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 54% 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 Cottonwood Falls: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Strong City 2 mi · Elmdale 6 mi · Matfield Green 14 mi · Cedar Point 17 mi · Dunlap 17 mi · Americus 18 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 Falls (38.3682, -96.5428); 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.