community in California
Honey bee forage in Graeagle, California
Estimated forage here is better than about 45% of sites in California. Against other California sites it stands out most in summer (84th percentile) and lowest in fall (41st). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (nearest 1.8 mi NE, grown 3 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Graeagle?
- First forage: Mar 16 (kinnikinnick, maples, early trees (maple, willow, poplar))
- Main flow: Apr 16 to Jul 15, peaking late May (kinnikinnick, snowberry, oregon grape)
- Season ends: Sep 30
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Graeagle, 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 11.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): kinnikinnick, oregon grape, snowberry, ceanothus: redstem; light amber, likely to stay liquid a long time
- Summer honey (July and August): snowberry, summer-flowering shrubs, clovers: white, alsike and red, native wildflowers; extra light amber, likely to stay liquid a long time
- Fall honey (September to November): snowberry, dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster); light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): snowberry, kinnikinnick, oregon grape, ceanothus: redstem; light amber, likely to stay liquid a long time
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 11 acres in a typical year, nearest 2 mi NE, blooms late Jun – late Aug (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 Graeagle
Mostly: Mediterranean California Mesic Mixed Conifer Forest and Woodland; Mediterranean California Dry-Mesic Mixed Conifer Forest and Woodland; Mediterranean California Red Fir Forest.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.11 mi NW; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.29 mi E.
How Graeagle ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 45th | 64th | 58th | 20th |
| California | 45th | 44th | 84th | 41st |
| Sierra Nevada | 62nd | 59th | 66th | 40th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 92% 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 Graeagle: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Blairsden 2 mi · Johnsville 3 mi · Plumas Eureka 3 mi · C-Road 4 mi · Clio 4 mi · Valley Ranch 4 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 Graeagle (39.7525, -120.6454); 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.