city in North Dakota
Honey bee forage in Gardner, North Dakota
Estimated forage here is better than about 81% of sites in North Dakota. Against other North Dakota sites it stands out most in summer (81st percentile) and lowest in fall (51st). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (right here, grown 3 of the last 5 years); corn (right here, grown 2 of the last 5 years); sunflower (nearest 0.2 mi W, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Gardner?
- First forage: Apr 16 (dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Main flow: Jul 1 to Aug 31, peaking late Jul (soybeans)
- Season ends: Sep 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Gardner, 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 18.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), garden flowers; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): soybeans, sunflower; amber, likely to stay liquid a long time
- Fall honey (September to November): soybeans, dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, sunflower; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): soybeans, sunflower, dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red; 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
- Soybeans: about 5,113 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.2 mi E, blooms early Jul – early Sep (grown 1 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 1,252 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.2 mi E, blooms late Jul – late Aug (grown 2 of the last 5 years)
- Sunflower: about 117 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.8 mi W, blooms early 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 Gardner
Mostly: Soybeans; Corn.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.24 mi NE; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.47 mi S.
How Gardner ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 98th | 29th | 97th | 97th |
| North Dakota | 81st | 63rd | 81st | 51st |
| Lake Agassiz Plain | 90th | 73rd | 87th | 38th |
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 Gardner: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Grandin 7 mi · Argusville 7 mi · Brooktree Park 10 mi · Hunter 12 mi · Arthur 12 mi · Harwood 12 mi
All towns in North Dakota · National map · How the scoring works
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 Gardner (47.1445, -96.9686); 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.