community in California
Honey bee forage in Joshua Tree, California
Estimated forage here is better than about 41% of sites in California. Against other California sites it stands out most in fall (60th percentile) and lowest in summer (43rd). Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer), 0.2 mi E.
When is the honey flow in Joshua Tree?
- First forage: Jan 16 (dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Main flow: Feb 1 to Apr 30, peaking early Mar (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion)
- Season ends: Sep 30
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Joshua Tree, 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 5.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), native wildflowers; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Summer honey (July and August): garden flowers, dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, rabbitbrush; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Fall honey (September to November): rabbitbrush, garden flowers; dark amber
- Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, garden flowers, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); 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
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 Joshua Tree
Mostly: Mojave Mid-Elevation Mixed Desert Scrub; Sonora-Mojave Creosotebush-White Bursage Desert Scrub; Developed-Roads.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.2 mi E; open water 2.12 mi N.
How Joshua Tree ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 40th | 67th | 18th | 30th |
| California | 41st | 45th | 43rd | 60th |
| Mojave Basin and Range | 97th | 96th | 95th | 55th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 70% 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 Joshua Tree: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Yucca Valley 6 mi · Homestead Valley 12 mi · Twentynine Palms 14 mi · Morongo Valley 15 mi · Desert Edge 16 mi · Sky Valley 16 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 Joshua Tree (34.1236, -116.3129); 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.