community in Montana
Honey bee forage in Marion, Montana
Estimated forage here is better than about 95% of sites in Montana. Against other Montana sites it stands out most in spring (98th percentile) and lowest in fall (18th). Biggest nearby bee crops: canola (nearest 3.7 mi S, grown 2 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Marion?
- First forage: Mar 16 (willows)
- Main flow: May 1 to Aug 15, peaking early Jul (snowberry, willows)
- Season ends: Sep 30
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Marion, 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 Jun 1.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): willows, kinnikinnick, native wildflowers, huckleberries; dark amber, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Summer honey (July and August): snowberry, native wildflowers, huckleberries, mallow ninebark; light amber
- Fall honey (September to November): snowberry, fireweed, spotted and diffuse knapweed, dandelion; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Whole season (March to November): snowberry, willows, native wildflowers, huckleberries; dark amber
Nectar-source estimate (plants weighted by how much bees favor them), not a pollen analysis. Full honey estimate.
Bee crops within flight range
- Canola: about 2 acres in a typical year, nearest 3.7 mi S, blooms late May – early Aug (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 Marion
Mostly: Northern Rocky Mountain Dry-Mesic Montane Mixed Conifer Forest; Open water; Northern Rocky Mountain Ponderosa Pine Woodland and Savanna.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.45 mi S; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.68 mi NW.
How Marion ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 77th | 55th | 84th | 67th |
| Montana | 95th | 98th | 92nd | 18th |
| Northern Rockies | 73rd | 68th | 70th | 74th |
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 Marion: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Little Bitterroot Lake 4 mi · Kila 10 mi · Batavia 14 mi · Rhodes 17 mi · Lake Mary Ronan 18 mi · Kalispell 19 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 Marion (48.0865, -114.6796); 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.