community in California
Honey bee forage in Sage, California
Estimated forage here is better than about 67% of sites in California. Against other California sites it stands out most in spring (69th percentile) and lowest in fall (15th). Biggest nearby bee crops: grapes (nearest 3.6 mi SW).
When is the honey flow in Sage?
- First forage: Jan 16 (spring-flowering shrubs, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), native wildflowers)
- Main flow: Feb 16 to Apr 15, peaking early Mar (spring-flowering shrubs, summer-flowering shrubs, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard))
- Season ends: Jul 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Sage, 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 Feb 23.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): spring-flowering shrubs, summer-flowering shrubs, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), summer-flowering trees (locust, linden); light amber, likely to stay liquid a long time
- Summer honey (July and August): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), garden flowers, dandelion; light amber, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), garden flowers; amber
- Whole season (March to November): spring-flowering shrubs, summer-flowering shrubs, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), summer-flowering trees (locust, linden); 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
- Grapes: about 1 acres in a typical year, nearest 3.6 mi SW, blooms late Mar – late Apr
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 Sage
Mostly: Southern California Dry-Mesic Chaparral; Southern California Coastal Scrub; California Ruderal Scrub.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.04 mi N; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.5 mi N.
How Sage ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 70th | 94th | 6th | 4th |
| California | 67th | 69th | 26th | 15th |
| Southern California/Northern Baja Coast | 34th | 72nd | 18th | 4th |
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 Sage: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Lake Riverside 8 mi · East Hemet 10 mi · Aguanga 10 mi · Valle Vista 10 mi · Hemet 11 mi · French Valley 11 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 Sage (33.5941, -116.9104); 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.