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Honey bee forage in Clarkdale, Arizona
Estimated forage here is better than about 98% of sites in Arizona. Against other Arizona sites it stands out most in spring (98th percentile) and lowest in fall (60th). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (nearest 3.6 mi SE, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Clarkdale?
- First forage: Jan 16 (dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Main flow: Mar 1 to May 15, peaking late Mar (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, summer-flowering trees (locust, linden))
- Fall flow: Jun 1 to Jun 30 (roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Season ends: Sep 30
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Clarkdale, 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 Mar 12.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), summer-flowering shrubs; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): garden flowers, dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Fall honey (September to November): garden flowers, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), rabbitbrush; amber
- Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), 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 5 acres in a typical year, nearest 3.6 mi SE, blooms late Apr – late Jun (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 Clarkdale
Mostly: Madrean Pinyon-Juniper Woodland; Sonoran Mid-Elevation Desert Scrub; Mogollon Chaparral.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.02 mi S; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.21 mi SW.
Things to watch
- Heavily developed. About 53% of the land within a mile is developed. Less room for forage, and more neighbors near the hives.
How Clarkdale ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 62nd | 88th | 27th | 38th |
| Arizona | 98th | 98th | 88th | 60th |
| Arizona/New Mexico Mountains | 100th | 99th | 66th | 54th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 63% 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 Clarkdale: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Jerome 3 mi · Cottonwood 4 mi · Verde Village 4 mi · Cornville 9 mi · Lake Montezuma 17 mi · Camp Verde 17 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 Clarkdale (34.748, -112.0587); 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.