city in Oregon
Honey bee forage in Ione, Oregon
Estimated forage here is better than about 48% of sites in Oregon. Against other Oregon sites it stands out most in spring (68th percentile) and lowest in fall (45th). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (nearest 0.1 mi E, grown 4 of the last 5 years); sunflower (nearest 1.3 mi E, grown 1 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 3.3 mi W, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Ione?
- First forage: Mar 1 (dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), weedy mustards)
- Main flow: Mar 16 to Aug 15, peaking late Jun (roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), alfalfa, dandelion)
- Fall flow: Sep 1 to Sep 15 (yellow starthistle, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), green/yellow rabbitbrush)
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Ione, 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 20.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, alfalfa; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Summer honey (July and August): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), alfalfa, spotted and diffuse knapweed, yellow starthistle; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Fall honey (September to November): green/yellow rabbitbrush, spotted and diffuse knapweed, rubber rabbitbrush, yellow starthistle; amber, likely to set over some months
- Whole season (March to November): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), alfalfa, dandelion, spotted and diffuse knapweed; extra light amber, likely to set over some 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 304 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.1 mi E, blooms early Jun – early Aug (grown 4 of the last 5 years)
- Sunflower: about 10 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.3 mi E, blooms early 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 Ione
Mostly: Winter Wheat; Fallow / idle cropland; Inter-Mountain Basins Big Sagebrush Shrubland.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.08 mi NE; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.23 mi SE.
How Ione ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 49th | 60th | 62nd | 60th |
| Oregon | 48th | 68th | 48th | 45th |
| Columbia Plateau | 52nd | 75th | 41st | 30th |
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 Ione: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Lexington 8 mi · Heppner 16 mi · Arlington 23 mi · Boardman 24 mi · Condon 26 mi · Lonerock 29 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 Ione (45.5029, -119.822); 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.