community in Oregon
Honey bee forage in Black Butte Ranch, Oregon
Estimated forage here is better than about 72% of sites in Oregon. Against other Oregon sites it stands out most in summer (83rd percentile) and lowest in fall (59th). Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow, 0.19 mi N.
When is the honey flow in Black Butte Ranch?
- First forage: Mar 16 (willows, dandelion)
- Main flow: May 1 to Jul 31, peaking early Jul (snowberry, willows, dandelion)
- Season ends: Oct 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Black Butte Ranch, 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 24.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): willows, dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, snowberry; amber, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Summer honey (July and August): snowberry, clovers: white, alsike and red, native wildflowers, spotted and diffuse knapweed; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): snowberry, spotted and diffuse knapweed, dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): snowberry, willows, dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red; 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
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 Black Butte Ranch
Mostly: Northern Rocky Mountain Ponderosa Pine Woodland and Savanna; East Cascades Mesic Montane Mixed-Conifer Forest and Woodland; North Pacific Lowland Riparian Forest.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.19 mi N; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.24 mi N.
How Black Butte Ranch ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 74th | 57th | 81st | 69th |
| Oregon | 72nd | 67th | 83rd | 59th |
| Eastern Cascades Slopes and Foothills | 82nd | 82nd | 85th | 72nd |
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 Black Butte Ranch: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Camp Sherman 6 mi · Sisters 8 mi · Eagle Crest 20 mi · Crooked River Ranch 20 mi · Tumalo 22 mi · Terrebonne 24 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 Black Butte Ranch (44.3642, -121.6686); 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.