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Honey bee forage in South Cle Elum, Washington
Estimated forage here is better than about 75% of sites in Washington. Against other Washington sites it stands out most in fall (89th percentile) and lowest in spring (70th). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (nearest 1.0 mi SE, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in South Cle Elum?
- First forage: Mar 16 (dandelion, willows, maples)
- Main flow: Apr 16 to Jul 31, peaking late May (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion)
- Season ends: Oct 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of South Cle Elum, 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 19.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, maples, summer-flowering shrubs; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): clovers: white, alsike and red, snowberry, summer-flowering shrubs, dandelion; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, garden flowers, spotted and diffuse knapweed; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, snowberry, summer-flowering shrubs; 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 3 acres in a typical year, nearest 1 mi SE, blooms late Jun – late Oct (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 South Cle Elum
Mostly: East Cascades Mesic Montane Mixed-Conifer Forest and Woodland; Northern Rocky Mountain Dry-Mesic Montane Mixed Conifer Forest; Western Cool Temperate Pasture and Hayland.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.23 mi N; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.28 mi NW.
How South Cle Elum ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 90th | 87th | 85th | 86th |
| Washington | 75th | 70th | 82nd | 89th |
| North Cascades | 90th | 87th | 73rd | 80th |
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 South Cle Elum: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Cle Elum 1 mi · Ronald 5 mi · Easton 10 mi · Roslyn 11 mi · Thorp 16 mi · Cliffdell 19 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 South Cle Elum (47.1862, -120.9526); 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.