city in Oregon
Honey bee forage in Elgin, Oregon
Estimated forage here is better than about 79% of sites in Oregon. Against other Oregon sites it stands out most in summer (88th percentile) and lowest in spring (72nd). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (nearest 0.4 mi NW, grown 3 of the last 5 years); clover and wildflowers (nearest 1.0 mi S, grown 1 of the last 5 years); chickpeas (nearest 1.2 mi NW, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Elgin?
- First forage: Mar 16 (dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Main flow: Apr 1 to Aug 31, peaking early Jul (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, snowberry)
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Elgin, 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 10.
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, spotted and diffuse knapweed, snowberry, clovers: white, alsike and red; extra light amber, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Fall honey (September to November): spotted and diffuse knapweed, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, garden flowers; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, spotted and diffuse knapweed, snowberry; 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
- Alfalfa: about 177 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.7 mi N, blooms late Jun – late Aug (grown 3 of the last 5 years)
- Clover and wildflowers: about 11 acres in a typical year, nearest 1 mi S, blooms early May – 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 Elgin
Mostly: Northern Rocky Mountain Dry-Mesic Montane Mixed Conifer Forest; Northern Rocky Mountain Ponderosa Pine Woodland and Savanna; Interior Western North American Temperate Ruderal Shrubland.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.23 mi S; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.39 mi SE.
How Elgin ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 84th | 77th | 83rd | 81st |
| Oregon | 79th | 72nd | 88th | 77th |
| Blue Mountains | 100th | 100th | 77th | 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 Elgin: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Summerville 7 mi · Imbler 7 mi · Island City 17 mi · La Grande 18 mi · Wallowa 19 mi · Cove 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 Elgin (45.5647, -117.9213); 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.