🐝 Bee Forage Bloom Calendar for Sunnyside, WA (98944)

What's flowering for honey bees near Sunnyside, WA (Yakima Valley (Columbia Basin shrub-steppe / irrigated agricultural valley), WA), month by month — 35 local nectar and pollen sources.

Open the interactive, printable calendar →

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Named honey flows

Bloom timing by plant

PlantScientific nameCategoryBloom monthsForage value
PeachPrunus persicaTreesMar–Aprmedium
ApricotPrunus armeniacaTreesMarmedium
Willow (various)Salix spp.TreesMar–Aprhigh
Siberian ElmUlmus pumilaTreesMarlow
Common DandelionTaraxacum officinaleWildflowers & WeedsMar–Maymedium
Bigleaf MapleAcer macrophyllumTreesApr–Maymedium
AppleMalus domesticaTreesAprhigh
Sweet CherryPrunus aviumTreesAprhigh
PearPyrus communisTreesAprmedium
Golden CurrantRibes aureumShrubs & VinesApr–Maymedium
Arrowleaf BalsamrootBalsamorhiza sagittataWildflowers & WeedsApr–Maymedium
Mustard (Tumble/Field)Sisymbrium altissimum / Brassica spp.Wildflowers & WeedsApr–Junmedium
Black LocustRobinia pseudoacaciaTreesMay–Junhigh
Russian OliveElaeagnus angustifoliaTreesMay–Junmedium
Caragana / Siberian Pea ShrubCaragana arborescensShrubs & VinesMaymedium
Wild RoseRosa woodsiiShrubs & VinesMay–Junmedium
White Dutch CloverTrifolium repensClover & LegumesMay–Julhigh
SainfoinOnobrychis viciifoliaClover & LegumesMay–Junmedium
Vetch (Hairy/Common)Vicia villosa / V. sativaClover & LegumesMay–Junmedium
Wine GrapeVitis viniferaShrubs & VinesJunlow
SnowberrySymphoricarpos albusShrubs & VinesJun–Julmedium
AlfalfaMedicago sativaClover & LegumesJun–Sephigh
Red CloverTrifolium pratenseClover & LegumesJun–Augmedium
Sweet Clover (Yellow & White)Melilotus officinalis / M. albusClover & LegumesJun–Aughigh
Prickly LettuceLactuca serriolaWildflowers & WeedsJun–Auglow
Showy MilkweedAsclepias speciosaWildflowers & WeedsJun–Julmedium
Knapweed (Diffuse/Spotted)Centaurea diffusa / C. stoebeWildflowers & WeedsJun–Sephigh
HopsHumulus lupulusShrubs & VinesJul–Auglow
Russian ThistleSalsola tragusWildflowers & WeedsJul–Sepmedium
Sunflower (Common)Helianthus annuusWildflowers & WeedsJul–Sepmedium
FireweedChamerion angustifoliumWildflowers & WeedsJul–Augmedium
RabbitbrushEricameria nauseosaShrubs & VinesAug–Octhigh
Big SagebrushArtemisia tridentataShrubs & VinesAug–Seplow
Canada GoldenrodSolidago canadensisWildflowers & WeedsAug–Sephigh
Asters (Native)Symphyotrichum spp.Wildflowers & WeedsAug–Octhigh

Frequently asked questions

What is a bee forage bloom calendar?

A bee forage bloom calendar shows which nectar and pollen plants are blooming in a given area, month by month, so beekeepers can plan colony buildup, splits, and honey harvests around the local bloom.

How is the bloom data generated?

Every calendar starts with your zip code's specific growing region — its climate, elevation, and local ecology. From there, we use AI trained on horticultural and beekeeping knowledge to work out which nectar and pollen plants actually grow there and when they typically bloom, the same kind of judgment call an experienced local beekeeping mentor or extension agent would make, just automated so any US zip code or Canadian postal code can get a calendar in minutes instead of years of local observation. Each calendar typically covers 25-40 plants across trees, shrubs and vines, clover and legumes, and wildflowers, plus the area's named honey flows. We keep the exact generation process under wraps, but the goal is always the same: real, locally-grounded bloom timing instead of generic national averages.

What are the sources behind this data?

The region-specific bloom timing, honey flows, and beekeeping notes are produced by an AI system drawing on general horticultural, ecological, and beekeeping knowledge, applied to your area's specific climate and geography — rather than looked up from a single official bloom-timing database, since no such nationwide dataset exists at this level of local detail. The one exception is the calendar's crop rows (corn, soybeans, almonds, and similar commercial crops), which are grounded in real USDA data instead — see the next question.

Where does the crop data come from?

Crop rows are different from the rest of the calendar: instead of AI general knowledge, they're grounded in real USDA agricultural data. We look up your zip's US county and pull that county's actual crop acreage from the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) Quick Stats survey and agricultural census — the same data ag extension offices use. AI is only used to fill in each crop's typical bloom timing and forage value to bees; it can't add a crop that USDA data doesn't show is actually grown in your county. Click any crop row in the calendar to see its acreage figure and a link to verify it directly on USDA Quick Stats. Note that this data is gathered at the county level, not per zip code — a large county can span many zip codes with different local conditions, so a crop's acreage figure applies to the whole county and may not perfectly reflect your specific area. This is US-only and applies only to the "Crops" category — the tree, shrub, clover, and wildflower rows are still AI-estimated as described above. Canadian calendars have no crop rows at all, since USDA data doesn't cover Canada.

Does MyBeeCalendar work for Canadian postal codes?

Yes. Enter the first three characters of your postal code — the forward sortation area, like K1A or V6B — and you'll get the same bee forage bloom calendar you would for a US zip code. If you type a full postal code, we just use its first three characters. Canada is covered at that level rather than by full postal code because bloom timing doesn't meaningfully change from one street to the next; a forward sortation area is already the right size for a local bloom calendar. The one difference from US calendars is that Canadian ones have no crop rows, since the USDA county data behind those covers the US only.

What is a nectar dearth?

A nectar dearth (or dearth period) is a stretch of the year when little or no medium-to-high value forage is blooming. Colonies may need supplemental feeding during a dearth to avoid starvation or robbing behavior.

What is a honey flow?

A honey flow (or nectar flow) is a period when nectar is abundant enough for a colony to produce surplus honey beyond what it needs to survive, often tied to a specific major regional bloom like clover or black locust.

How accurate is the bloom timing data?

Bloom timing is generated from regional climate and ecology data and is intended as a general planning reference. It may not perfectly match a specific microclimate, so it's worth cross-checking against your own field observations.

Is MyBeeCalendar free to use?

Yes. Enter any US zip code or Canadian postal code to get a free, printable bee forage bloom calendar — no signup required.