community in Montana
Honey bee forage in Rosebud, Montana
Estimated forage here is better than about 66% of sites in Montana. Against other Montana sites it stands out most in spring (91st percentile) and lowest in fall (38th). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (nearest 0.2 mi N, grown 3 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 0.6 mi N, grown 2 of the last 5 years); dry beans (nearest 0.9 mi NE, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Rosebud?
- First forage: Mar 16 (early trees (maple, willow, poplar), dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard))
- Main flow: May 1 to Aug 31, peaking early Aug (alfalfa, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard))
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Rosebud, 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 12.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), early trees (maple, willow, poplar), dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red; light amber, likely to set over some months
- Summer honey (July and August): alfalfa, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), spotted and diffuse knapweed, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster); white, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Fall honey (September to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), green/yellow rabbitbrush, spotted and diffuse knapweed, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); amber, likely to set over some months
- Whole season (March to November): alfalfa, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), early trees (maple, willow, poplar); extra light amber, likely to set within weeks to a few 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 1,065 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.5 mi NW, blooms late Jun – late Aug (grown 3 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 92 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.8 mi N, blooms late Jul – early Sep (grown 1 of the last 5 years)
- Dry beans: about 59 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.9 mi NE, blooms late Jul – early Sep (grown 1 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 Rosebud
Mostly: Inter-Mountain Basins Big Sagebrush Steppe; Northwestern Great Plains Mixedgrass Prairie; Alfalfa.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.1 mi NW; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.13 mi N.
How Rosebud ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 46th | 42nd | 67th | 80th |
| Montana | 66th | 91st | 55th | 38th |
| Northwestern Great Plains | 70th | 92nd | 69th | 18th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 33% 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 Rosebud: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Forsyth 10 mi · Colstrip 27 mi · Miles City 31 mi · Hysham 37 mi · Lame Deer 46 mi · Ashland 47 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 Rosebud (46.2698, -106.4541); 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.