community in Montana
Honey bee forage in Florence, Montana
Estimated forage here is better than about 99% of sites in Montana. Against other Montana sites it stands out most in spring (100th percentile) and lowest in fall (70th). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (nearest 0.6 mi SW, grown 3 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 3.0 mi N, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Florence?
- First forage: Mar 1 (willows, dandelion)
- Main flow: Apr 16 to Jul 31, peaking late May (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, snowberry)
- Fall flow: Aug 16 to Sep 15 (spotted and diffuse knapweed, clovers: white, alsike and red, snowberry)
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Florence, 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 14.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, willows, snowberry; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): snowberry, spotted and diffuse knapweed, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): spotted and diffuse knapweed, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, snowberry; light amber, likely to set over some months
- Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, snowberry, spotted and diffuse knapweed; 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
- Alfalfa: about 85 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.6 mi E, blooms early Jul – late Aug (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 Florence
Mostly: Northern Rocky Mountain Ponderosa Pine Woodland and Savanna; Northern Rocky Mountain Montane-Foothill Deciduous Shrubland; Interior Western North American Temperate Ruderal Grassland.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.47 mi SE; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.5 mi SE.
How Florence ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 90th | 86th | 86th | 91st |
| Montana | 99th | 100th | 95th | 70th |
| Middle Rockies | 100th | 100th | 98th | 65th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
The national forage map around Florence: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Carlton 4 mi · Stevensville 9 mi · Lolo 10 mi · Orchard Homes 15 mi · Victor 15 mi · Missoula 17 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 Florence (46.6345, -114.0813); 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.