city in Oregon
Honey bee forage in Pendleton, Oregon
Estimated forage here is better than about 62% of sites in Oregon. Against other Oregon sites it stands out most in spring (73rd percentile) and lowest in fall (41st). Biggest nearby bee crops: mustard (nearest 1.1 mi N, grown 1 of the last 5 years); alfalfa (right here, grown 4 of the last 5 years); peas (nearest 1.3 mi N, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Pendleton?
- First forage: Feb 16 (dandelion)
- Main flow: Mar 16 to Jul 15, peaking late Apr (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard))
- Fall flow: Aug 1 to Aug 31 (dandelion, garden flowers, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Season ends: Oct 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Pendleton, 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 16.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), native wildflowers; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), spotted and diffuse knapweed, dandelion, garden flowers; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Fall honey (September to November): garden flowers, green/yellow rabbitbrush, spotted and diffuse knapweed, rubber rabbitbrush; amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), garden flowers; 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
- Mustard: about 70 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.6 mi N, blooms early May – early Jun (grown 1 of the last 5 years)
- Alfalfa: about 12 acres in a typical year, nearest 0 mi W, blooms early Jun – late Jul (grown 4 of the last 5 years)
- Peas: about 21 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.3 mi N, blooms late Apr – early Jun (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 Pendleton
Mostly: Winter Wheat; Fallow / idle cropland; Columbia Plateau Steppe and Grassland.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.02 mi E; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.52 mi NW.
How Pendleton ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 65th | 80th | 61st | 57th |
| Oregon | 62nd | 73rd | 47th | 41st |
| Columbia Plateau | 74th | 92nd | 39th | 26th |
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 Pendleton: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Riverside 4 mi · Green Meadows 4 mi · Gopher Flats 5 mi · Tutuilla 7 mi · Mission 8 mi · Kirkpatrick 8 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 Pendleton (45.6756, -118.8195); 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.