community in Montana
Honey bee forage in Wisdom, Montana
Estimated forage here is better than about 98% of sites in Montana. Spring, summer and fall all rank about the same against other Montana sites. Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow, less than 0.1 mi away.
When is the honey flow in Wisdom?
- First forage: Apr 1 (willows)
- Main flow: May 16 to Aug 31, peaking late Jun (willows, native wildflowers)
- Fall flow: Sep 16 to Sep 30 (spotted and diffuse knapweed, native wildflowers)
- Season ends: Nov 30
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Wisdom, 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 13.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): willows, native wildflowers, dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red; dark amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): native wildflowers, willows, 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, native wildflowers, clovers: white, alsike and red, sweet clovers; light amber, likely to set over some months
- Whole season (March to November): willows, native wildflowers, spotted and diffuse knapweed, clovers: white, alsike and red; 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
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 Wisdom
Mostly: Rocky Mountain Alpine-Montane Wet Meadow; Interior Western North American Temperate Ruderal Grassland; Inter-Mountain Basins Big Sagebrush Steppe.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.02 mi N; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.11 mi NE.
How Wisdom ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 82nd | 46th | 85th | 99th |
| Montana | 98th | 95th | 94th | 97th |
| Middle Rockies | 98th | 97th | 98th | 97th |
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 Wisdom: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Jackson 17 mi · Maverick Mountain 21 mi · Wise River 27 mi · Sula 30 mi · Dewey 31 mi · Argenta 36 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 Wisdom (45.61, -113.4457); 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.