community in Montana
Honey bee forage in Jefferson City, Montana
Estimated forage here is better than about 59% of sites in Montana. Against other Montana sites it stands out most in spring (84th percentile) and lowest in fall (39th). Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer), less than 0.1 mi away.
When is the honey flow in Jefferson City?
- First forage: Mar 16 (willows, dandelion)
- Main flow: May 1 to Sep 15, peaking early Jun (snowberry, native wildflowers, willows)
- Season ends: Nov 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Jefferson City, 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 29.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): willows, native wildflowers, dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red; amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): snowberry, native wildflowers, spotted and diffuse knapweed, clovers: white, alsike and red; light amber, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): spotted and diffuse knapweed, snowberry, green/yellow rabbitbrush, rubber rabbitbrush; amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): snowberry, native wildflowers, willows, spotted and diffuse knapweed; amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
Nectar-source estimate (plants weighted by how much bees favor them), not a pollen analysis. Full honey estimate.
Bee crops within flight range
No rated bee crops within about 3.7 miles of the town center. The forage here is wild plants, trees and gardens.
The land and water around Jefferson City
Mostly: Middle Rocky Mountain Montane Douglas-fir Forest and Woodland; Inter-Mountain Basins Big Sagebrush Steppe; Northern Rocky Mountain Lower Montane-Foothill-Valley Grassland.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.05 mi SW; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.08 mi S.
How Jefferson City ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 40th | 35th | 66th | 80th |
| Montana | 59th | 84th | 52nd | 39th |
| Middle Rockies | 73rd | 93rd | 56th | 34th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 42% 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 Jefferson City: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Clancy 5 mi · Elkhorn 8 mi · Boulder 11 mi · Montana City 11 mi · Unionville 12 mi · South Hills 12 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 Jefferson City (46.3779, -112.0305); 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.