city in Washington

Honey bee forage in Leavenworth, Washington

Estimated forage here is better than about 60% of sites in Washington. Against other Washington sites it stands out most in spring (72nd percentile) and lowest in summer (30th). Biggest nearby bee crops: pears (nearest 0.4 mi NW); apples (nearest 2.4 mi E).

When is the honey flow in Leavenworth?

  • First forage: Mar 16 (dandelion, maples, willows)
  • Main flow: Apr 1 to Jul 15, peaking early May (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, snowberry)
  • Season ends: Sep 30
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Leavenworth, 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 5.

What the honey is made of

  • Spring honey (March to June): dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, snowberry, maples; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
  • Summer honey (July and August): snowberry, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, garden flowers; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
  • Fall honey (September to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, garden flowers, spotted and diffuse knapweed; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
  • Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, snowberry, maples; 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

  • Pears: about 180 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.8 mi N, blooms late Apr – early May

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 Leavenworth

Mostly: Northern Rocky Mountain Dry-Mesic Montane Mixed Conifer Forest; East Cascades Mesic Montane Mixed-Conifer Forest and Woodland; Northern Rocky Mountain Lower Montane-Foothill-Valley Grassland.

Nearest mapped water: pond, lake or river 0.13 mi S; open water 0.13 mi S.

Things to watch

  • Heavily developed. About 55% of the land within a mile is developed. Less room for forage, and more neighbors near the hives.
  • Bee crops nearby that are often sprayed. Pears: insecticides used on about 69% of acres in Washington (2025); Apples: insecticides used on about 76% of acres in Washington (2025). Figures are from USDA's Agricultural Chemical Use Survey, matched by crop type from the crop map. The survey counts any insecticide use in the crop year (not seed treatments) and doesn't say when; ask nearby growers about spray timing.

How Leavenworth ranks

Against random land inOverallSpringSummerFall
Continental US81st92nd73rd56th
Washington60th72nd30th51st
North Cascades76th89th15th44th

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 Leavenworth: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.

Nearby

Cashmere 11 mi · Sunnyslope 16 mi · Wenatchee 19 mi · Entiat 21 mi · East Wenatchee 22 mi · South Wenatchee 22 mi

All towns in Washington · 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 Leavenworth (47.5947, -120.6639); 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.