community in Arizona
Honey bee forage in Oxbow Estates, Arizona
Estimated forage here is better than about 69% of sites in Arizona. Against other Arizona sites it stands out most in spring (81st percentile) and lowest in fall (32nd). Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer), 0.13 mi E.
When is the honey flow in Oxbow Estates?
- First forage: Feb 16 (dandelion, native wildflowers, spring-flowering shrubs)
- Main flow: Mar 16 to May 15, peaking early Apr (spring-flowering shrubs, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion)
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Oxbow Estates, 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 24.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): spring-flowering shrubs, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, native wildflowers; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): rabbitbrush, dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, garden flowers; amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Fall honey (September to November): rabbitbrush, garden flowers; dark amber
- Whole season (March to November): spring-flowering shrubs, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, native wildflowers; 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
No rated bee crops within about 3.7 miles of the town center. The forage here is wild plants, trees and gardens.
The land and water around Oxbow Estates
Mostly: Madrean Pinyon-Juniper Woodland; Mogollon Chaparral; Sonoran Mid-Elevation Desert Scrub.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.13 mi E; pond, lake or river 0.26 mi N.
How Oxbow Estates ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 12th | 51st | 7th | 29th |
| Arizona | 69th | 81st | 47th | 32nd |
| Arizona/New Mexico Mountains | 57th | 77th | 17th | 40th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 92% 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 Oxbow Estates: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Round Valley 2 mi · Payson 5 mi · Rye 6 mi · Gisela 6 mi · Deer Creek 8 mi · Mesa del Caballo 8 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 Oxbow Estates (34.1803, -111.343); 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.