city in Oregon
Honey bee forage in Rainier, Oregon
Estimated forage here is better than about 97% of sites in Oregon. Against other Oregon sites it stands out most in spring (98th percentile) and lowest in fall (16th). Biggest nearby bee crops: clover and wildflowers (nearest 3.3 mi NW, grown 2 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Rainier?
- First forage: Feb 1 (early trees (maple, willow, poplar), dandelion, willows)
- Main flow: Mar 16 to May 31, peaking late Apr (maples, summer-flowering shrubs)
- Fall flow: Jun 16 to Jun 30 (summer-flowering shrubs, himalayan blackberry)
- Season ends: Aug 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Rainier, 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 14.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): summer-flowering shrubs, maples, himalayan blackberry, oregon grape; light amber, likely to stay liquid a long time
- Summer honey (July and August): summer-flowering shrubs, himalayan blackberry, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion; light amber, likely to stay liquid a long time
- Fall honey (September to November): garden flowers, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster); light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): summer-flowering shrubs, maples, himalayan blackberry, clovers: white, alsike and red; light amber, likely to stay liquid a long time
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 2 acres in a typical year, nearest 3.3 mi NW, blooms late Apr – late Aug (grown 2 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 Rainier
Mostly: North Pacific Broadleaf Landslide Forest; Open water; North Pacific Maritime Dry-Mesic Douglas-fir-Western Hemlock Forest.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0 mi S; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.07 mi E.
How Rainier ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 99th | 100th | 68th | 10th |
| Oregon | 97th | 98th | 59th | 16th |
| Coast Range | 85th | 91st | 53rd | 71st |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 74% 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 Rainier: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Prescott 3 mi · Deer Island 11 mi · Clatskanie 13 mi · Columbia City 13 mi · St. Helens 16 mi · Warren 18 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 Rainier (46.0714, -122.9414); 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.