city in North Dakota
Honey bee forage in Washburn, North Dakota
Estimated forage here is better than about 39% of sites in North Dakota. Against other North Dakota sites it stands out most in spring (96th percentile) and lowest in fall (29th). Biggest nearby bee crops: corn (nearest 0.5 mi E, grown 2 of the last 5 years); soybeans (nearest 0.3 mi E, grown 2 of the last 5 years); canola (nearest 0.9 mi NE, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Washburn?
- First forage: Apr 1 (dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Main flow: Jul 1 to Aug 31, peaking late Jul (soybeans, dry Beans, canola)
- Season ends: Oct 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Washburn, 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), early trees (maple, willow, poplar); light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): soybeans, dry Beans, canola, clovers: white, alsike and red; white, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Fall honey (September to November): dry Beans, soybeans, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), dandelion; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): soybeans, dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, dry Beans; 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
- Corn: about 732 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.5 mi E, blooms late Jul – late Aug (grown 2 of the last 5 years)
- Soybeans: about 133 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.3 mi E, blooms early Jul – early Sep (grown 2 of the last 5 years)
- Canola: about 114 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.2 mi E, blooms late Jun – early Aug (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 Washburn
Mostly: Northwestern Great Plains Mixedgrass Prairie; Open water; Northwestern Great Plains Floodplain Forest and Woodland.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.12 mi W; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.24 mi SE.
How Washburn ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 84th | 54th | 87th | 94th |
| North Dakota | 39th | 96th | 33rd | 29th |
| Northwestern Glaciated Plains | 76th | 96th | 69th | 76th |
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 Washburn: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Underwood 12 mi · Wilton 15 mi · Stanton 17 mi · Turtle Lake 17 mi · Center 18 mi · Coleharbor 19 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 Washburn (47.294, -101.0278); 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.