city in Arizona
Honey bee forage in Goodyear, Arizona
Estimated forage here is better than about 16% of sites in Arizona. Against other Arizona sites it ranks highest in fall (40th percentile) and lowest in spring (12th). Expect a dearth from late Apr to late Sep.
When is the honey flow in Goodyear?
- First forage: Jan 1 (native wildflowers, spring-flowering shrubs)
- Main flow: Feb 1 to Apr 15, peaking late Feb (native wildflowers, spring-flowering shrubs)
- Dearth: Jan 16 to Jan 31
- Dearth: Apr 16 to Sep 30
- Fall flow: May 1 to Oct 31 (rabbitbrush, native wildflowers, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard))
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Goodyear, 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 15.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): native wildflowers, spring-flowering shrubs, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); light amber, likely to set over some months
- Summer honey (July and August): rabbitbrush, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); dark amber, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): rabbitbrush; dark amber
- Whole season (March to November): rabbitbrush, native wildflowers, spring-flowering shrubs, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); amber, likely to set over some months
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 72 acres in a typical year, nearest 2.4 mi SW, blooms early Apr – late May (grown 2 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 13 acres in a typical year, nearest 2.5 mi SW, blooms late Apr – late Jun (grown 1 of the last 5 years)
- Sorghum: about 12 acres in a typical year, nearest 3.4 mi SW, 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 Goodyear
Mostly: Sonoran Paloverde-Mixed Cacti Desert Scrub; Sonora-Mojave Creosotebush-White Bursage Desert Scrub; North American Warm Desert Ruderal & Planted Grassland.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.46 mi S; creek, wetland or wet meadow 3.16 mi SW.
How Goodyear ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 2nd | 8th | 1st | 31st |
| Arizona | 16th | 12th | 14th | 40th |
| Sonoran Basin and Range | 42nd | 35th | 45th | 66th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 99% 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 Goodyear: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Avondale 5 mi · St. Johns 10 mi · Maricopa Colony 11 mi · Gila Crossing 12 mi · Santa Cruz 12 mi · Komatke 12 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 Goodyear (33.254, -112.3665); 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.