community in California
Honey bee forage in Forest Meadows, California
Estimated forage here is better than about 66% of sites in California. Against other California sites it stands out most in spring (73rd percentile) and lowest in fall (40th). Biggest nearby bee crops: grapes (nearest 3.7 mi SW).
When is the honey flow in Forest Meadows?
- First forage: Feb 16 (dandelion, kinnikinnick, maples)
- Main flow: Mar 1 to May 31, peaking early Apr (dandelion, snowberry, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Season ends: Aug 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Forest Meadows, 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 29.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): snowberry, dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, kinnikinnick; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): snowberry, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red; light amber, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), garden flowers, spotted and diffuse knapweed; amber
- Whole season (March to November): snowberry, dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, 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
- Grapes: about 8 acres in a typical year, nearest 3.7 mi SW, blooms early May – late May
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 Forest Meadows
Mostly: Mediterranean California Lower Montane Conifer Forest and Woodland; Mediterranean California Mixed Oak Woodland; Northern and Central California Dry-Mesic Chaparral.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0 mi S; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.44 mi N.
How Forest Meadows ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 69th | 95th | 31st | 18th |
| California | 66th | 73rd | 56th | 40th |
| Sierra Nevada | 89th | 92nd | 28th | 38th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 79% 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 Forest Meadows: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Hathaway Pines 2 mi · Avery 3 mi · Murphys 4 mi · Sheep Ranch 4 mi · Douglas Flat 5 mi · Arnold 6 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 Forest Meadows (38.1718, -120.3977); 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.