community in California
Honey bee forage in Topanga, California
Estimated forage here is better than about 72% of sites in California. Against other California sites it stands out most in fall (60th percentile) and lowest in summer (31st). Biggest nearby bee crops: grapes (nearest 3.2 mi SW).
When is the honey flow in Topanga?
- First forage: Jan 1 (dandelion, spring-flowering shrubs)
- Main flow: Feb 1 to Apr 15, peaking late Feb (spring-flowering shrubs, clovers: white, alsike and red, summer-flowering shrubs)
- Season ends: Jul 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Topanga, 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 11.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): summer-flowering shrubs, spring-flowering shrubs, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), garden flowers, dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red; amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Fall honey (September to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), garden flowers; amber
- Whole season (March to November): summer-flowering shrubs, spring-flowering shrubs, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion; 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 1 acres in a typical year, nearest 3.2 mi SW, blooms late Mar – early 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 Topanga
Mostly: Southern California Dry-Mesic Chaparral; Southern California Coastal Scrub; California Coastal Live Oak Woodland and Savanna.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.09 mi NW; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.19 mi SE.
How Topanga ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 76th | 80th | 9th | 30th |
| California | 72nd | 53rd | 31st | 60th |
| Southern California/Northern Baja Coast | 49th | 34th | 29th | 52nd |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 78% 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 Topanga: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Calabasas 4 mi · Hidden Hills 6 mi · Pepperdine University 7 mi · Santa Monica 9 mi · Bell Canyon 9 mi · Agoura Hills 10 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 Topanga (34.0968, -118.606); 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.