city in Oregon
Honey bee forage in Cottage Grove, Oregon
Estimated forage here is better than about 82% of sites in Oregon. Against other Oregon sites it stands out most in spring (85th percentile) and lowest in fall (26th). Biggest nearby bee crops: clover and wildflowers (nearest 3.5 mi NE, grown 1 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 3.5 mi NE, grown 1 of the last 5 years); grapes (nearest 3.3 mi N).
When is the honey flow in Cottage Grove?
- First forage: Feb 16 (dandelion, maples, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Main flow: Mar 1 to Jun 15, peaking early Apr (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, summer-flowering shrubs)
- Season ends: Sep 30
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Cottage Grove, 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 Apr 7.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, summer-flowering shrubs, maples; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, garden flowers, summer-flowering shrubs; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Fall honey (September to November): garden flowers, spotted and diffuse knapweed; light amber
- Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, summer-flowering shrubs, maples; 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
- Clover and wildflowers: about 10 acres in a typical year, nearest 3.5 mi NE, blooms early Apr – early Aug (grown 1 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 55 acres in a typical year, nearest 3.6 mi N, blooms early Jun – early Aug (grown 1 of the last 5 years)
- Grapes: about 2 acres in a typical year, nearest 3.3 mi N, blooms early May – early Jun
- Alfalfa: about 6 acres in a typical year, nearest 3.6 mi N, blooms late May – late Jul (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 Cottage Grove
Mostly: North Pacific Maritime Dry-Mesic Douglas-fir-Western Hemlock Forest; Western Cool Temperate Pasture and Hayland; North Pacific Lowland Mixed Hardwood-Conifer Forest.
Nearest mapped water: pond, lake or river 0.18 mi SW; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.34 mi NW.
Things to watch
- Heavily developed. About 84% of the land within a mile is developed. Less room for forage, and more neighbors near the hives.
How Cottage Grove ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 89th | 98th | 65th | 26th |
| Oregon | 82nd | 85th | 53rd | 26th |
| Willamette Valley | 40th | 49th | 25th | 72nd |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 32% 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 Cottage Grove: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Creswell 9 mi · Trent 14 mi · Dexter 14 mi · Jasper 15 mi · Drain 16 mi · Lowell 16 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 Cottage Grove (43.7959, -123.0572); 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.