city in Missouri
Honey bee forage in Bourbon, Missouri
Estimated forage here is better than about 40% of sites in Missouri. Against other Missouri sites it stands out most in spring (87th percentile) and lowest in summer (37th). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (nearest 1.6 mi W, grown 3 of the last 5 years); clover and wildflowers (nearest 1.8 mi N, grown 2 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 1.6 mi W, grown 2 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Bourbon?
- First forage: Feb 16 (dandelion, early trees (maple, willow, poplar), clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Main flow: Mar 16 to Jun 30, peaking late Apr (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion)
- Fall flow: Jul 16 to Aug 15 (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster))
- Season ends: Sep 30
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Bourbon, 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): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), summer-flowering shrubs; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Summer honey (July and August): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), garden flowers; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), clovers: white, alsike and red, garden flowers, dandelion; light amber, likely to set over some months
- Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); 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
- Soybeans: about 49 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.6 mi W, blooms early Jun – early Aug (grown 3 of the last 5 years)
- Clover and wildflowers: about 11 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.8 mi N, blooms early Apr – early Sep (grown 2 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 17 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.6 mi W, 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 Bourbon
Mostly: Eastern Cool Temperate Pasture and Hayland; Ozark-Ouachita Dry-Mesic Oak Forest; Ozark-Ouachita Dry Oak Woodland.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.12 mi SE; open water 0.36 mi E.
How Bourbon ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 78th | 94th | 63rd | 57th |
| Missouri | 40th | 87th | 37th | 76th |
| Ozark Highlands | 75th | 71st | 82nd | 63rd |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 74% 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 Bourbon: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
St. Cloud 3 mi · West Sullivan 4 mi · Leasburg 5 mi · Sullivan 6 mi · Oak Grove Village 8 mi · Cuba 10 mi
All towns in Missouri · 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 Bourbon (38.1506, -91.2493); 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.