community in Arizona
Honey bee forage in Summit, Arizona
Estimated forage here is better than about 96% of sites in Arizona. Against other Arizona sites it stands out most in spring (88th percentile) and lowest in fall (56th). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (nearest 3.3 mi NW, grown 3 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Summit?
- First forage: Jan 1 (dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Main flow: Jan 16 to Apr 15, peaking late Feb (dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Season ends: Sep 30
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Summit, 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 20.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), garden flowers; 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): rabbitbrush, garden flowers, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster); dark amber
- Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, garden flowers, rabbitbrush; 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
- Alfalfa: about 75 acres in a typical year, nearest 3.3 mi NW, 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 Summit
Mostly: Sonoran Paloverde-Mixed Cacti Desert Scrub; Sonora-Mojave Creosotebush-White Bursage Desert Scrub; Quarries-Strip Mines-Gravel Pits-Well and Wind Pads.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.06 mi N; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.11 mi E.
How Summit ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 48th | 61st | 14th | 35th |
| Arizona | 96th | 88th | 64th | 56th |
| Sonoran Basin and Range | 90th | 87th | 90th | 94th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 70% 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 Summit: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Tucson 8 mi · Drexel Heights 8 mi · Sahuarita 9 mi · South Tucson 9 mi · Valencia West 11 mi · Corona de Tucson 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 Summit (32.0621, -110.9486); 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.