town in Arizona
Honey bee forage in Florence, Arizona
Estimated forage here is better than about 39% of sites in Arizona. Against other Arizona sites it ranks highest in spring (49th percentile) and lowest in fall (32nd). Expect a dearth from late Jun to late Sep.
When is the honey flow in Florence?
- First forage: Jan 1 (native wildflowers, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), dandelion)
- Main flow: Feb 1 to May 31, peaking early Apr (native wildflowers, alfalfa, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard))
- Dearth: Jun 16 to Sep 30
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Florence, 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 Feb 17.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): alfalfa, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), native wildflowers, spring-flowering shrubs; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): rabbitbrush, cotton, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), garden flowers; amber, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Fall honey (September to November): rabbitbrush, garden flowers; dark amber
- Whole season (March to November): alfalfa, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), rabbitbrush, native wildflowers; 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 407 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.6 mi S, blooms early Apr – early Jun (grown 4 of the last 5 years)
- Cotton: about 65 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.6 mi SE, blooms early Jun – late Jul (grown 4 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 Florence
Mostly: Sonoran Paloverde-Mixed Cacti Desert Scrub; Sonora-Mojave Creosotebush-White Bursage Desert Scrub; Alfalfa.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.12 mi SE; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.13 mi E.
Things to watch
- Bee crops nearby that are often sprayed. Cotton: insecticides used on about 39% of surveyed US acres (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 Florence ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 5th | 25th | 4th | 28th |
| Arizona | 39th | 49th | 33rd | 32nd |
| Sonoran Basin and Range | 70th | 69th | 78th | 51st |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 87% 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 Florence: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Cactus Forest 10 mi · Blackwater 10 mi · Coolidge 11 mi · San Tan Valley 11 mi · Sacaton Flats Village 14 mi · Queen Valley 16 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 Florence (33.0694, -111.414); 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.