community in California
Honey bee forage in Searles Valley, California
Estimated forage here is better than about 17% of sites in California. Against other California sites it ranks highest in fall (40th percentile) and lowest in summer (17th). Expect a dearth from late May to late Jun.
When is the honey flow in Searles Valley?
- First forage: Jan 16 (native wildflowers, dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard))
- Main flow: Feb 16 to Apr 30, peaking early Mar (summer-flowering trees (locust, linden), native wildflowers, spring-flowering shrubs)
- Dearth: Jan 16 to Jan 31
- Dearth: May 16 to Jun 30
- Fall flow: May 16 to May 31 (native wildflowers, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), summer-flowering shrubs)
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Searles Valley, 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 1.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): summer-flowering trees (locust, linden), native wildflowers, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): rabbitbrush, garden flowers, dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red; 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): summer-flowering trees (locust, linden), rabbitbrush, native wildflowers, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); extra 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
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 Searles Valley
Mostly: Sonora-Mojave Creosotebush-White Bursage Desert Scrub; Barren; Mojave Mid-Elevation Mixed Desert Scrub.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.03 mi SW; pond, lake or river 1.05 mi SE.
How Searles Valley ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 4th | 22nd | 3rd | 18th |
| California | 17th | 26th | 17th | 40th |
| Mojave Basin and Range | 74th | 75th | 65th | 16th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 74% 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 Searles Valley: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Trona 4 mi · Homewood Canyon 8 mi · Valley Wells 8 mi · Ridgecrest 18 mi · Ridgecrest Heights 21 mi · China Lake Acres 23 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 Searles Valley (35.77, -117.3967); 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.