community in California
Honey bee forage in Trona, California
Estimated forage here is better than about 16% of sites in California. Against other California sites it ranks highest in fall (34th percentile) and lowest in summer (16th). Expect a dearth from late May to late Jun.
When is the honey flow in Trona?
- First forage: Jan 1 (dandelion, native wildflowers)
- Main flow: Feb 16 to May 15, peaking early Mar (native wildflowers, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion)
- Dearth: Jan 16 to Jan 31
- Dearth: May 16 to Jun 30
- Fall flow: Jun 1 to Jun 15 (spotted and diffuse knapweed, dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Trona, 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 27.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): native wildflowers, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, spring-flowering shrubs; 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): native wildflowers, clovers: white, alsike and red, rabbitbrush, dandelion; 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 Trona
Mostly: Sonora-Mojave Creosotebush-White Bursage Desert Scrub; Barren; North American Warm Desert Playa.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.1 mi S; creek, wetland or wet meadow 2.72 mi W.
How Trona ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 3rd | 17th | 2nd | 16th |
| California | 16th | 22nd | 16th | 34th |
| Mojave Basin and Range | 67th | 65th | 61st | 12th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 82% 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 Trona: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Searles Valley 4 mi · Valley Wells 5 mi · Homewood Canyon 6 mi · Ridgecrest 22 mi · Ridgecrest Heights 25 mi · China Lake Acres 26 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 Trona (35.8158, -117.3473); 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.