community in Arizona
Honey bee forage in Picture Rocks, Arizona
Estimated forage here is better than about 55% of sites in Arizona. Against other Arizona sites it stands out most in spring (59th percentile) and lowest in fall (28th). Biggest nearby bee crops: cotton (nearest 3.1 mi NW); alfalfa (nearest 3.5 mi W, grown 3 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Picture Rocks?
- First forage: Jan 1 (dandelion, native wildflowers)
- Main flow: Jan 16 to Apr 30, peaking late Feb (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, native wildflowers)
- Fall flow: May 16 to Jun 15 (dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard))
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Picture Rocks, 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 19.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, native wildflowers, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Summer honey (July and August): rabbitbrush, garden flowers, dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red; 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): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, rabbitbrush, native wildflowers; light 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
- Cotton: about 116 acres in a typical year, nearest 3.1 mi NW, blooms early Jun – late Jul (grown 5 of the last 5 years)
- Alfalfa: about 68 acres in a typical year, nearest 3.5 mi W, blooms early Apr – early Jun (grown 3 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 Picture Rocks
Mostly: Sonoran Paloverde-Mixed Cacti Desert Scrub; Sonora-Mojave Creosotebush-White Bursage Desert Scrub; Developed, open space (parks, large lots, lawns).
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0 mi S; pond, lake or river 0.42 mi SE.
How Picture Rocks ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 9th | 31st | 5th | 27th |
| Arizona | 55th | 59th | 40th | 28th |
| Sonoran Basin and Range | 76th | 74th | 82nd | 44th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 82% 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 Picture Rocks: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Nelson 7 mi · Avra Valley 8 mi · Rillito 9 mi · Tucson Mountains 11 mi · Marana 12 mi · Tucson Estates 13 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 Picture Rocks (32.3247, -111.2599); 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.