community in Oregon
Honey bee forage in O'Brien, Oregon
Estimated forage here is better than about 51% of sites in Oregon. Against other Oregon sites it stands out most in spring (76th percentile) and lowest in summer (15th). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (nearest 3.2 mi NE, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in O'Brien?
- First forage: Feb 16 (kinnikinnick, dandelion, early trees (maple, willow, poplar))
- Main flow: Mar 16 to Jun 15, peaking late Apr (kinnikinnick, summer-flowering shrubs, spring-flowering shrubs)
- Season ends: Aug 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of O'Brien, 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 11.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): summer-flowering shrubs, kinnikinnick, spring-flowering shrubs, clovers: white, alsike and red; 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, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Fall honey (September to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), garden flowers, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion; amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): summer-flowering shrubs, kinnikinnick, spring-flowering shrubs, clovers: white, alsike and red; 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 1 acres in a typical year, nearest 3.2 mi NE, 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 O'Brien
Mostly: Mediterranean California Mixed Evergreen Forest; Northern and Central California Dry-Mesic Chaparral; Klamath-Siskiyou Lower Montane Serpentine Mixed Conifer Woodland.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0 mi S; pond, lake or river 0.33 mi SE.
How O'Brien ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 54th | 88th | 34th | 11th |
| Oregon | 51st | 76th | 15th | 17th |
| Klamath Mountains/California High North Coast Range | 31st | 53rd | 20th | 49th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 84% 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 O'Brien: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Takilma 5 mi · Cave Junction 7 mi · Kerby 9 mi · Selma 15 mi · Williams 23 mi · New Hope 27 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 O'Brien (42.0799, -123.7046); 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.