city in Minnesota
Honey bee forage in Leonard, Minnesota
Estimated forage here is better than about 22% of sites in Minnesota. Against other Minnesota sites it stands out most in fall (65th percentile) and lowest in summer (32nd). Biggest nearby bee crops: sunflower (nearest 0.9 mi W, grown 1 of the last 5 years); soybeans (nearest 0.6 mi SE, grown 2 of the last 5 years); alfalfa (nearest 0.6 mi SE, grown 3 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Leonard?
- First forage: Mar 16 (early trees (maple, willow, poplar), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), dandelion)
- Main flow: Apr 16 to Aug 15, peaking late May (roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), early trees (maple, willow, poplar), clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Fall flow: Sep 1 to Sep 15 (roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), soybeans, alfalfa)
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Leonard, 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 25.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): early trees (maple, willow, poplar), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red; light amber, likely to set over some months
- Summer honey (July and August): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, summer-flowering trees (locust, linden); extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Whole season (March to November): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), early trees (maple, willow, poplar), clovers: white, alsike and red, summer-flowering trees (locust, linden); extra 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
- Sunflower: about 8 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.9 mi W, blooms late Jul – early Sep (grown 1 of the last 5 years)
- Soybeans: about 43 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.9 mi S, blooms early Jul – early Sep (grown 3 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 Leonard
Mostly: Laurentian-Acadian Northern Hardwoods Forest; Northern & Central Ruderal Meadow; Eastern Cool Temperate Pasture and Hayland.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.04 mi SE; pond, lake or river 0.06 mi E.
How Leonard ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 56th | 52nd | 71st | 77th |
| Minnesota | 22nd | 61st | 32nd | 65th |
| North Central Hardwood Forests | 12th | 53rd | 19th | 53rd |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 68% 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 Leonard: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Shevlin 8 mi · Clearbrook 8 mi · Bagley 11 mi · Solway 11 mi · Gonvick 13 mi · Wilton 16 mi
All towns in Minnesota · 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 Leonard (47.6498, -95.2642); 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.