city in Oregon

Honey bee forage in Lyons, Oregon

Estimated forage here is better than about 86% of sites in Oregon. Against other Oregon sites it stands out most in spring (87th percentile) and lowest in fall (25th). Biggest nearby bee crops: clover and wildflowers (nearest 2.7 mi NW, grown 1 of the last 5 years).

When is the honey flow in Lyons?

  • First forage: Feb 1 (dandelion, willows, early trees (maple, willow, poplar))
  • Main flow: Mar 16 to Jun 15, peaking late Apr (summer-flowering shrubs, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion)
  • Season ends: Sep 15
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Lyons, 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 13.

What the honey is made of

  • Spring honey (March to June): summer-flowering shrubs, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, maples; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
  • Summer honey (July and August): summer-flowering shrubs, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, himalayan blackberry; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
  • Fall honey (September to November): garden flowers, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, spotted and diffuse knapweed; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
  • Whole season (March to November): summer-flowering shrubs, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, 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 8 acres in a typical year, nearest 2.9 mi NW, blooms late Apr – late 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 Lyons

Mostly: North Pacific Maritime Dry-Mesic Douglas-fir-Western Hemlock Forest; North Pacific Maritime Mesic-Wet Douglas-fir-Western Hemlock Forest; North Pacific Broadleaf Landslide Forest.

Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0 mi S; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0 mi S.

How Lyons ranks

Against random land inOverallSpringSummerFall
Continental US95th99th73rd26th
Oregon86th87th64th25th
Willamette Valley58th62nd59th71st

Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.

About 54% 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 Lyons: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.

Nearby

Mehama 1 mi · Mill City 7 mi · Stayton 9 mi · Sublimity 10 mi · Gates 10 mi · Scio 13 mi

All towns in Oregon · National map · How the scoring works

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 Lyons (44.7793, -122.6118); 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.