community in Arizona
Honey bee forage in Rainbow City, Arizona
Estimated forage here is better than about 76% of sites in Arizona. Against other Arizona sites it stands out most in spring (81st percentile) and lowest in fall (63rd). Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer), 0.55 mi S.
When is the honey flow in Rainbow City?
- First forage: Feb 1 (early trees (maple, willow, poplar), dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard))
- Main flow: Apr 1 to Jun 15, peaking late Apr (spring-flowering shrubs, summer-flowering shrubs, native wildflowers)
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Rainbow City, 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 Apr 10.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): spring-flowering shrubs, native wildflowers, summer-flowering shrubs, clovers: white, alsike and red; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), rabbitbrush, summer-flowering shrubs; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Fall honey (September to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), rabbitbrush, garden flowers; amber
- Whole season (March to November): spring-flowering shrubs, summer-flowering shrubs, native wildflowers, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); 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 Rainbow City
Mostly: Madrean Pinyon-Juniper Woodland; Southern Rocky Mountain Ponderosa Pine Woodland; Madrean Lower Montane Pine-Oak Forest and Woodland.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.55 mi S; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.68 mi NE.
How Rainbow City ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 15th | 51st | 18th | 41st |
| Arizona | 76th | 81st | 72nd | 63rd |
| Arizona/New Mexico Mountains | 65th | 77th | 42nd | 56th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 93% 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 Rainbow City: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Whiteriver 2 mi · Turkey Creek 5 mi · East Fork 5 mi · Fort Apache 6 mi · Seven Mile 6 mi · Canyon Day 7 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 Rainbow City (33.873, -109.9763); 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.