community in Montana
Honey bee forage in Zortman, Montana
Estimated forage here is better than about 30% of sites in Montana. Against other Montana sites it stands out most in spring (62nd percentile) and lowest in fall (20th). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (nearest 0.6 mi SE, grown 4 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Zortman?
- First forage: Mar 16 (willows, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), dandelion)
- Main flow: May 16 to Sep 15, peaking early Jul (snowberry, native wildflowers)
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Zortman, 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 25.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): willows, native wildflowers, smooth sumac, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); amber, likely to set over some months
- Summer honey (July and August): snowberry, native wildflowers, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), sweet clovers; light amber, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), snowberry, spotted and diffuse knapweed, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); light amber, likely to set over some months
- Whole season (March to November): snowberry, native wildflowers, willows, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster); light 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
- Alfalfa: about 3 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.6 mi SE, blooms early Jul – early 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 Zortman
Mostly: Northwestern Great Plains-Black Hills Ponderosa Pine Woodland and Savanna; Northwestern Great Plains Mixedgrass Prairie; Rocky Mountain Lodgepole Pine Forest.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.13 mi E; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.13 mi NE.
How Zortman ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 24th | 27th | 59th | 69th |
| Montana | 30th | 62nd | 37th | 20th |
| Middle Rockies | 46th | 87th | 38th | 14th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 74% 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 Zortman: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Landusky 5 mi · Lodge Pole 8 mi · Hays 10 mi · Dodson 35 mi · Fort Belknap Agency 36 mi · Malta 42 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 Zortman (47.9167, -108.509); 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.