city in Oregon
Honey bee forage in Cove, Oregon
Estimated forage here is better than about 78% of sites in Oregon. Against other Oregon sites it stands out most in summer (94th percentile) and lowest in spring (70th). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (nearest 0.4 mi NW, grown 3 of the last 5 years); sunflower (nearest 1.8 mi W, grown 1 of the last 5 years); canola (nearest 1.8 mi N, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Cove?
- First forage: Mar 16 (dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Main flow: May 1 to Aug 31, peaking early Jul (alfalfa, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion)
- Season ends: Oct 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Cove, 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 15.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, snowberry, maples; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): alfalfa, snowberry, spotted and diffuse knapweed, clovers: white, alsike and red; white, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Fall honey (September to November): spotted and diffuse knapweed, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, yellow starthistle; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): alfalfa, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, snowberry; extra light amber, likely to set within weeks to a few months
Nectar-source estimate (plants weighted by how much bees favor them), not a pollen analysis. Full honey estimate.
Bee crops within flight range
- Alfalfa: about 389 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.4 mi NW, blooms early Jul – late Aug (grown 3 of the last 5 years)
- Sunflower: about 10 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.8 mi W, blooms early Jul – early Sep (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 Cove
Mostly: Northern Rocky Mountain Dry-Mesic Montane Mixed Conifer Forest; Northern Rocky Mountain Montane-Foothill Deciduous Shrubland; Columbia Basin Foothill and Canyon Dry Grassland.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.07 mi N; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.14 mi SW.
How Cove ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 82nd | 65th | 85th | 82nd |
| Oregon | 78th | 70th | 94th | 79th |
| Blue Mountains | 100th | 99th | 92nd | 80th |
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 Cove: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Union 7 mi · Island City 12 mi · La Grande 14 mi · Imbler 14 mi · Summerville 16 mi · North Powder 19 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 Cove (45.2964, -117.8102); 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.