town in Colorado
Honey bee forage in Branson, Colorado
Estimated forage here is better than about 72% of sites in Colorado. Against other Colorado sites it stands out most in spring (93rd percentile) and lowest in summer (47th). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (nearest 3.3 mi W, grown 3 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Branson?
- First forage: Mar 16 (roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), native wildflowers, dandelion)
- Main flow: Apr 16 to Aug 15, peaking early May (summer-flowering shrubs, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), spring-flowering shrubs)
- Fall flow: Sep 1 to Sep 15 (fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard))
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Branson, 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 May 1.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), summer-flowering shrubs, spring-flowering shrubs, native wildflowers; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), summer-flowering shrubs, native wildflowers; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Fall honey (September to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); amber, likely to set over some months
- Whole season (March to November): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), summer-flowering shrubs, native wildflowers; 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
- Alfalfa: about 3 acres in a typical year, nearest 3.3 mi W, blooms early Jun – late Aug (grown 3 of the last 5 years)
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 Branson
Mostly: Western Great Plains Shortgrass Prairie; Western Great Plains Foothill and Piedmont Grassland; Rocky Mountain Lower Montane-Foothill Shrubland.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.21 mi SE; open water 0.27 mi N.
How Branson ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 48th | 56th | 60th | 77th |
| Colorado | 72nd | 93rd | 47th | 56th |
| Southwestern Tablelands | 89th | 62nd | 92nd | 51st |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 93% 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 Branson: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Kim 33 mi · Hoehne 33 mi · Trinidad 35 mi · El Moro 35 mi · Starkville 36 mi · Jansen 38 mi
All towns in Colorado · 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 Branson (37.0155, -103.8838); 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.