city in South Dakota
Honey bee forage in Deadwood, South Dakota
Estimated forage here is better than about 6% of sites in South Dakota. Spring, summer and fall all rank about the same against other South Dakota sites. Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (nearest 1.4 mi E, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Deadwood?
- First forage: Apr 1 (dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard))
- Main flow: May 16 to Sep 15, peaking late May (snowberry, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion)
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Deadwood, 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 24.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, smooth sumac, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): snowberry, clovers: white, alsike and red, sweet clovers, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster); extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), snowberry, spotted and diffuse knapweed, dandelion; light amber, likely to set over some months
- Whole season (March to November): snowberry, dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster); light amber, likely to set over some 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 11 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.4 mi E, blooms early Jul – late Sep (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 Deadwood
Mostly: Northwestern Great Plains-Black Hills Ponderosa Pine Woodland and Savanna; Northwestern Great Plains Mixedgrass Prairie; Northwestern Great Plains Shrubland.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.04 mi SE; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.39 mi NW.
How Deadwood ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 23rd | 28th | 55th | 72nd |
| South Dakota | 6th | 30th | 21st | 25th |
| Middle Rockies | 41st | 88th | 29th | 19th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 79% 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 Deadwood: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Central City 3 mi · Lead 3 mi · Crook City 5 mi · Boulder Canyon 6 mi · Whitewood 7 mi · Spearfish 9 mi
All towns in South Dakota · 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 Deadwood (44.387, -103.7207); 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.