community in Arizona
Honey bee forage in Sun Valley, Arizona
Estimated forage here is better than about 74% of sites in Arizona. Against other Arizona sites it stands out most in summer (85th percentile) and lowest in spring (71st). Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer), 0.58 mi NW.
When is the honey flow in Sun Valley?
- First forage: Feb 16 (dandelion, native wildflowers)
- Main flow: Mar 16 to Jul 15, peaking late Apr (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, native wildflowers)
- Fall flow: Aug 1 to Oct 31 (green/yellow rabbitbrush, rabbitbrush, rubber rabbitbrush)
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Sun Valley, 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 12.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, native wildflowers, spring-flowering shrubs; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): spotted and diffuse knapweed, green/yellow rabbitbrush, asters, dandelion; light amber, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): green/yellow rabbitbrush, rabbitbrush, rubber rabbitbrush, asters; dark amber
- Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, spotted and diffuse knapweed, native wildflowers; 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 Sun Valley
Mostly: Inter-Mountain Basins Mixed Salt Desert Scrub; Inter-Mountain Basins Semi-Desert Shrub-Steppe; Southern Colorado Plateau Sand Shrubland.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.58 mi NW; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.75 mi N.
How Sun Valley ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 14th | 41st | 26th | 61st |
| Arizona | 74th | 71st | 85th | 82nd |
| Arizona/New Mexico Plateau | 74th | 86th | 67th | 40th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 68% 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 Sun Valley: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Holbrook 9 mi · Woodruff 13 mi · Joseph City 17 mi · Indian Wells 30 mi · Dilkon 30 mi · Snowflake 32 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 Sun Valley (34.9829, -110.032); 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.