city in North Dakota
Honey bee forage in South Heart, North Dakota
Estimated forage here is better than about 23% of sites in North Dakota. Against other North Dakota sites it stands out most in spring (92nd percentile) and lowest in summer (20th). Biggest nearby bee crops: canola (nearest 1.1 mi SW, grown 1 of the last 5 years); sunflower (nearest 1.1 mi E, grown 1 of the last 5 years); alfalfa (nearest 0.7 mi SW, grown 4 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in South Heart?
- First forage: Apr 1 (dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Main flow: May 16 to Sep 15, peaking late Jul (clovers: white, alsike and red, sunflower, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard))
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of South Heart, 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 21.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), native wildflowers; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): sunflower, alfalfa, canola, clovers: white, alsike and red; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Fall honey (September to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), alfalfa, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), sunflower; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, sunflower, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); extra 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
- Canola: about 113 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.5 mi W, blooms late Jun – early Aug (grown 1 of the last 5 years)
- Sunflower: about 109 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.5 mi W, blooms early Jul – early Sep (grown 1 of the last 5 years)
- Alfalfa: about 144 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.7 mi SW, 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 South Heart
Mostly: Northwestern Great Plains Mixedgrass Prairie; Spring Wheat; Northwestern Great Plains Riparian Herbaceous.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.17 mi W; pond, lake or river 0.19 mi N.
Things to watch
- Lots of crops with little or no bee value. About 42% of the land within 3 miles is in crops bees get little from (such as wheat and other grains).
How South Heart ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 71st | 46th | 80th | 95th |
| North Dakota | 23rd | 92nd | 20th | 37th |
| Northwestern Great Plains | 90th | 96th | 85th | 87th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 36% 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 South Heart: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Dickinson 9 mi · Belfield 10 mi · Gladstone 20 mi · New England 23 mi · Medora 25 mi · Taylor 27 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 South Heart (46.8681, -102.9905); 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.