community in California
Honey bee forage in Cartago, California
Estimated forage here is better than about 24% of sites in California. Against other California sites it ranks highest in fall (43rd percentile) and lowest in summer (30th). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (nearest 1.5 mi SE, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Cartago?
- First forage: Feb 1 (dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, native wildflowers)
- Main flow: Feb 16 to May 31, peaking early Apr (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, native wildflowers)
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Cartago, 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 Mar 25.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, native wildflowers, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Summer honey (July and August): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, rabbitbrush, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); light amber, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): rabbitbrush, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), garden flowers; dark amber
- Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, rabbitbrush, native wildflowers; 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 2 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.5 mi SE, blooms early May – early Jul (grown 1 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 Cartago
Mostly: Mojave Mid-Elevation Mixed Desert Scrub; Sierra Nevada Cliff and Canyon; Barren.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.3 mi W; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.36 mi NE.
How Cartago ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 11th | 46th | 9th | 21st |
| California | 24th | 36th | 30th | 43rd |
| Mojave Basin and Range | 90th | 91st | 90th | 20th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 87% 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 Cartago: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Olancha 3 mi · Keeler 15 mi · Lone Pine 19 mi · Kennedy Meadows 21 mi · Darwin 25 mi · Ponderosa 31 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 Cartago (36.3052, -118.0272); 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.