city in Colorado
Honey bee forage in Florence, Colorado
Estimated forage here is better than about 92% of sites in Colorado. Against other Colorado sites it stands out most in spring (99th percentile) and lowest in summer (53rd). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (nearest 0.5 mi NE, grown 2 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 2.5 mi NW, grown 2 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Florence?
- First forage: Mar 1 (dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Main flow: Mar 16 to Jun 30, peaking late Apr (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard))
- Fall flow: Jul 16 to Sep 15 (fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), alfalfa)
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Florence, 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 Apr 21.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), native wildflowers; extra 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), alfalfa, dandelion; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Fall honey (September to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), garden flowers, dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red; amber, likely to set over some months
- Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster); 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 48 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.7 mi N, blooms early Jun – early Aug (grown 4 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 Florence
Mostly: Western Great Plains Shortgrass Prairie; Inter-Mountain Basins Mixed Salt Desert Scrub; Western Great Plains Foothill and Piedmont Grassland.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.17 mi N; open water 0.24 mi S.
How Florence ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 69th | 78th | 63rd | 76th |
| Colorado | 92nd | 99th | 53rd | 54th |
| Southwestern Tablelands | 98th | 96th | 94th | 49th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 62% 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 Florence: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Coal Creek 3 mi · Rockvale 4 mi · Williamsburg 4 mi · Brookside 5 mi · Penrose 6 mi · Lincoln Park 7 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 Florence (38.3796, -105.1002); 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.