community in Utah
Honey bee forage in Marion, Utah
Estimated forage here is better than about 100% of sites in Utah. Spring, summer and fall all rank about the same against other Utah sites. Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (right here, grown 4 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Marion?
- First forage: Apr 1 (dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Main flow: May 16 to Sep 15, peaking late Jul (clovers: white, alsike and red, alfalfa, dandelion)
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Marion, 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): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): clovers: white, alsike and red, alfalfa, spotted and diffuse knapweed, dandelion; white, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Fall honey (September to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, spotted and diffuse knapweed, dandelion, alfalfa; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, alfalfa, spotted and diffuse knapweed; 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
- Alfalfa: about 71 acres in a typical year, nearest 0 mi E, blooms early Jul – early Sep (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 Marion
Mostly: Western Cool Temperate Pasture and Hayland; Rocky Mountain Aspen Forest and Woodland; Rocky Mountain Gambel Oak-Mixed Montane Shrubland.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.02 mi N; pond, lake or river 0.03 mi SE.
How Marion ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 85th | 58th | 86th | 98th |
| Utah | 100th | 97th | 99th | 99th |
| Wasatch and Uinta Mountains | 100th | 99th | 100th | 99th |
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 Marion: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Kamas 2 mi · Samak 3 mi · Oakley 4 mi · Peoa 4 mi · Francis 5 mi · Woodland 7 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 Marion (40.681, -111.2773); 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.