city in Montana
Honey bee forage in Poplar, Montana
Estimated forage here is better than about 88% of sites in Montana. Against other Montana sites it stands out most in spring (99th percentile) and lowest in fall (40th). Biggest nearby bee crops: mustard (nearest 0.8 mi SW, grown 1 of the last 5 years); alfalfa (nearest 0.5 mi SE, grown 3 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 1.6 mi W, grown 4 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Poplar?
- First forage: Mar 16 (dandelion, early trees (maple, willow, poplar), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard))
- Main flow: Apr 16 to Aug 31, peaking early Jul (alfalfa, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion)
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Poplar, 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 17.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, early trees (maple, willow, poplar), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): alfalfa, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red, summer-flowering shrubs; extra light amber, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Fall honey (September to November): alfalfa, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), dandelion; extra light amber, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Whole season (March to November): alfalfa, dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); extra light 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
- Mustard: about 28 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.8 mi SW, blooms early Jun – early Jul (grown 1 of the last 5 years)
- Alfalfa: about 261 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.8 mi S, blooms late Jun – early Sep (grown 3 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 202 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.6 mi W, blooms late Jul – late Sep (grown 4 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 Poplar
Mostly: Northwestern Great Plains Mixedgrass Prairie; Northwestern Great Plains Floodplain Herbaceous; Open water.
Nearest mapped water: open water 0.23 mi N; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.34 mi N.
How Poplar ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 68th | 59th | 76th | 80th |
| Montana | 88th | 99th | 71st | 40th |
| Northwestern Glaciated Plains | 57th | 98th | 44th | 46th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 36% 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 Poplar: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Brockton 14 mi · Wolf Point 21 mi · Vida 23 mi · Prairie Elk Colony 29 mi · Culbertson 32 mi · Richey 33 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 Poplar (48.1105, -105.1969); 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.