city in Oregon
Honey bee forage in Union, Oregon
Estimated forage here is better than about 79% of sites in Oregon. Against other Oregon sites it stands out most in summer (86th percentile) and lowest in fall (72nd). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (nearest 0.2 mi SW, grown 3 of the last 5 years); clover and wildflowers (nearest 0.9 mi SW, grown 1 of the last 5 years); sunflower (nearest 2.1 mi NW, grown 2 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Union?
- First forage: Mar 16 (dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Main flow: Apr 1 to Aug 31, peaking early Jul (clovers: white, alsike and red, alfalfa, dandelion)
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Union, 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 May 8.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, alfalfa, maples; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): alfalfa, clovers: white, alsike and red, spotted and diffuse knapweed, snowberry; white, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Fall honey (September to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, spotted and diffuse knapweed, dandelion, garden flowers; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, alfalfa, dandelion, spotted and diffuse knapweed; extra light amber, likely to set within weeks to a few 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 520 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.9 mi N, blooms late Jun – late Aug (grown 4 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 Union
Mostly: Northern Rocky Mountain Montane-Foothill Deciduous Shrubland; Inter-Mountain Basins Big Sagebrush Steppe; Columbia Basin Foothill and Canyon Dry Grassland.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.11 mi NW; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.2 mi W.
How Union ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 84th | 79th | 82nd | 77th |
| Oregon | 79th | 73rd | 86th | 72nd |
| Blue Mountains | 100th | 100th | 72nd | 69th |
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 Union: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Cove 7 mi · Island City 12 mi · North Powder 13 mi · La Grande 13 mi · Imbler 18 mi · Summerville 20 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 Union (45.2089, -117.8679); 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.