community in Colorado
Honey bee forage in Gardner, Colorado
Estimated forage here is better than about 52% of sites in Colorado. Against other Colorado sites it stands out most in fall (70th percentile) and lowest in summer (48th). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (nearest 0.3 mi SW, grown 3 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Gardner?
- First forage: Mar 16 (roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), dandelion, weedy mustards)
- Main flow: May 1 to Sep 15, peaking early Jul (alfalfa, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster))
- Fall flow: Oct 1 to Oct 15 (fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster))
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Gardner, 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 13.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), native wildflowers, dandelion, alfalfa; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Summer honey (July and August): alfalfa, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), spotted and diffuse knapweed; extra light amber, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Fall honey (September to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), alfalfa, spotted and diffuse knapweed, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); light amber, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Whole season (March to November): alfalfa, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), native wildflowers; extra light amber, likely to set within weeks to a few months
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 62 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.3 mi SW, blooms late Jun – early Sep (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 Gardner
Mostly: Southern Rocky Mountain Montane-Subalpine Grassland; Southern Rocky Mountain Pinyon-Juniper Woodland; Inter-Mountain Basins Semi-Desert Shrub-Steppe.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.08 mi SW; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.19 mi S.
How Gardner ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 36th | 37th | 60th | 84th |
| Colorado | 52nd | 54th | 48th | 70th |
| Southern Rockies | 59th | 88th | 37th | 71st |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 70% 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 Gardner: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Rye 16 mi · Colorado City 20 mi · La Veta 21 mi · Beulah Valley 22 mi · Walsenburg 24 mi · Silver Cliff 27 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 Gardner (37.7889, -105.1645); 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.