community in Arizona
Honey bee forage in Shonto, Arizona
Estimated forage here is better than about 65% of sites in Arizona. Against other Arizona sites it stands out most in fall (85th percentile) and lowest in spring (58th). Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer), 0.3 mi SW.
When is the honey flow in Shonto?
- First forage: Mar 1 (weedy mustards, dandelion, arrowleaf balsamroot)
- Main flow: Apr 16 to Jul 15, peaking early May (native wildflowers, spring-flowering shrubs, weedy mustards)
- Fall flow: Aug 1 to Oct 31 (green/yellow rabbitbrush, rubber rabbitbrush)
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Shonto, 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 29.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): native wildflowers, spring-flowering shrubs, weedy mustards, dandelion; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): native wildflowers, green/yellow rabbitbrush, rubber rabbitbrush, spotted and diffuse knapweed; amber, likely to stay liquid a long time
- Fall honey (September to November): green/yellow rabbitbrush, rubber rabbitbrush, rabbitbrush; dark amber
- Whole season (March to November): native wildflowers, green/yellow rabbitbrush, rubber rabbitbrush, spring-flowering shrubs; 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 Shonto
Mostly: Inter-Mountain Basins Big Sagebrush Shrubland; Colorado Plateau Pinyon-Juniper Woodland; Colorado Plateau Pinyon-Juniper Shrubland.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.3 mi SW; pond, lake or river 0.39 mi NE.
How Shonto ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 11th | 31st | 23rd | 65th |
| Arizona | 65th | 58th | 82nd | 85th |
| Arizona/New Mexico Plateau | 57th | 70th | 60th | 46th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 43% 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 Shonto: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Kayenta 24 mi · Kaibito 25 mi · Tonalea 25 mi · Chilchinbito 35 mi · Oljato-Monument Valley 37 mi · Hard Rock 39 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 Shonto (36.587, -110.6625); 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.