community in California
Honey bee forage in Beckwourth, California
Estimated forage here is better than about 51% of sites in California. Against other California sites it stands out most in summer (95th percentile) and lowest in spring (39th). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (right here, grown 4 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Beckwourth?
- First forage: Apr 1 (dandelion, kinnikinnick, maples)
- Main flow: Apr 16 to Jul 31, peaking late May (snowberry, spring-flowering shrubs, kinnikinnick)
- Season ends: Oct 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Beckwourth, 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 May 19.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): spring-flowering shrubs, kinnikinnick, dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red; light amber, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Summer honey (July and August): snowberry, summer-flowering shrubs, alfalfa, spotted and diffuse knapweed; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Fall honey (September to November): spotted and diffuse knapweed, snowberry, dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): snowberry, dandelion, spring-flowering shrubs, kinnikinnick; 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
- Alfalfa: about 5 acres in a typical year, nearest 0 mi N, blooms early Jul – early Sep (grown 4 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 Beckwourth
Mostly: Mediterranean California Dry-Mesic Mixed Conifer Forest and Woodland; Mediterranean California Mesic Mixed Conifer Forest and Woodland; California Montane Woodland and Chaparral.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.08 mi SE; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.08 mi E.
How Beckwourth ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 52nd | 54th | 70th | 58th |
| California | 51st | 39th | 95th | 91st |
| Sierra Nevada | 73rd | 51st | 89th | 93rd |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 74% 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 Beckwourth: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Lake Davis 2 mi · Portola 4 mi · Delleker 5 mi · Iron Horse 6 mi · Gold Mountain 8 mi · Mabie 8 mi
All towns in California · National map · How the scoring works
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 Beckwourth (39.8439, -120.414); 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.