city in North Dakota
Honey bee forage in Medora, North Dakota
Estimated forage here is better than about 13% of sites in North Dakota. Against other North Dakota sites it stands out most in spring (97th percentile) and lowest in summer (7th). Nearest mapped water: open water, less than 0.1 mi away.
When is the honey flow in Medora?
- First forage: Mar 16 (early trees (maple, willow, poplar), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), dandelion)
- Main flow: Apr 16 to Aug 15, peaking late May (roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), early trees (maple, willow, poplar), fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster))
- Fall flow: Sep 1 to Sep 30 (fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard))
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Medora, 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): 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): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), summer-flowering shrubs, native wildflowers; light amber, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red; amber, likely to set over some months
- Whole season (March to November): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), early trees (maple, willow, poplar), dandelion; 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
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 Medora
Mostly: Northwestern Great Plains Mixedgrass Prairie; Great Plains Wooded Draw and Ravine Woodland; Northwestern Great Plains Shrubland.
Nearest mapped water: open water 0 mi S; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.06 mi N.
How Medora ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 54th | 56th | 63rd | 88th |
| North Dakota | 13th | 97th | 7th | 13th |
| Northwestern Great Plains | 78th | 99th | 62nd | 43rd |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 83% 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 Medora: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Sentinel Butte 15 mi · Belfield 16 mi · Beach 23 mi · Golva 25 mi · South Heart 25 mi · Amidon 31 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 Medora (46.9113, -103.5265); 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.