community in Arizona
Honey bee forage in Alpine, Arizona
Estimated forage here is better than about 95% of sites in Arizona. Against other Arizona sites it stands out most in summer (99th percentile) and lowest in fall (71st). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (nearest 1.2 mi S, grown 2 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Alpine?
- First forage: Mar 16 (willows, early trees (maple, willow, poplar), dandelion)
- Main flow: Apr 16 to Jul 31, peaking late May (summer-flowering shrubs, willows, spring-flowering shrubs)
- Season ends: Oct 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Alpine, 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 14.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): summer-flowering shrubs, willows, spring-flowering shrubs, dandelion; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): summer-flowering shrubs, spotted and diffuse knapweed, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red; light amber, likely to stay liquid a long time
- Fall honey (September to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), spotted and diffuse knapweed, summer-flowering shrubs, dandelion; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): summer-flowering shrubs, willows, spring-flowering shrubs, dandelion; light amber, likely to stay liquid a long time
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 2 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.2 mi S, blooms early Jul – late Aug (grown 2 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 Alpine
Mostly: Southern Rocky Mountain Ponderosa Pine Woodland; Rocky Mountain Gambel Oak-Mixed Montane Shrubland; Madrean Upper Montane Conifer-Oak Forest and Woodland.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0 mi S; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.06 mi S.
How Alpine ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 44th | 55th | 62nd | 50th |
| Arizona | 95th | 84th | 99th | 71st |
| Arizona/New Mexico Mountains | 98th | 84th | 98th | 67th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 81% 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 Alpine: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Nutrioso 8 mi · Eagar 20 mi · Greer 21 mi · Springerville 24 mi · Vernon 42 mi · McNary 44 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 Alpine (33.8455, -109.1437); 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.