town in Arizona
Honey bee forage in Quartzsite, Arizona
Estimated forage here is better than about 91% of sites in Arizona. Against other Arizona sites it stands out most in spring (81st percentile) and lowest in fall (40th). Nearest mapped water: open water, less than 0.1 mi away.
When is the honey flow in Quartzsite?
- First forage: Jan 1 (dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Main flow: Jan 16 to Apr 15, peaking late Feb (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion)
- Season ends: Sep 30
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Quartzsite, 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 16.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, garden flowers, lindens / basswood; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Summer honey (July and August): garden flowers, dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, rabbitbrush; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Fall honey (September to November): garden flowers, rabbitbrush; dark amber
- Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, garden flowers, lindens / basswood; extra 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
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 Quartzsite
Mostly: Sonora-Mojave Creosotebush-White Bursage Desert Scrub; Sonoran Paloverde-Mixed Cacti Desert Scrub; North American Warm Desert Pavement.
Nearest mapped water: open water 0.07 mi S; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.2 mi S.
Things to watch
- Heavily developed. About 66% of the land within a mile is developed. Less room for forage, and more neighbors near the hives.
How Quartzsite ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 33rd | 51st | 14th | 31st |
| Arizona | 91st | 81st | 63rd | 40th |
| Sonoran Basin and Range | 87th | 83rd | 90th | 66th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 48% 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 Quartzsite: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
La Paz Valley 8 mi · Ehrenberg 16 mi · Brenda 16 mi · Bouse 20 mi · Utting 22 mi · Vicksburg 23 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 Quartzsite (33.6675, -114.217); 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.