community in Montana
Honey bee forage in Garrison, Montana
Estimated forage here is better than about 73% of sites in Montana. Against other Montana sites it stands out most in fall (90th percentile) and lowest in summer (59th). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (nearest 1.5 mi S, grown 3 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Garrison?
- First forage: Mar 16 (willows, dandelion)
- Main flow: May 1 to Sep 15, peaking early Aug (native wildflowers, spotted and diffuse knapweed, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Fall flow: Oct 1 to Oct 15 (spotted and diffuse knapweed, green/yellow rabbitbrush, rubber rabbitbrush)
- Season ends: Nov 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Garrison, 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 26.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): native wildflowers, willows, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): spotted and diffuse knapweed, native wildflowers, snowberry, clovers: white, alsike and red; light amber, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): spotted and diffuse knapweed, green/yellow rabbitbrush, rubber rabbitbrush, clovers: white, alsike and red; light amber, likely to set over some months
- Whole season (March to November): spotted and diffuse knapweed, native wildflowers, clovers: white, alsike and red, willows; 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 65 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.5 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 Garrison
Mostly: Inter-Mountain Basins Big Sagebrush Steppe; Inter-Mountain Basins Big Sagebrush Shrubland; Northern Rocky Mountain Lower Montane-Foothill-Valley Grassland.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.06 mi SE; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.08 mi SE.
How Garrison ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 52nd | 37th | 69th | 97th |
| Montana | 73rd | 88th | 59th | 90th |
| Middle Rockies | 86th | 94th | 66th | 86th |
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 Garrison: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Goldcreek 6 mi · Deer Lodge 11 mi · Avon 13 mi · Elliston 17 mi · Drummond 18 mi · Hall 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 Garrison (46.5402, -112.8168); 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.