town in Colorado
Honey bee forage in Naturita, Colorado
Estimated forage here is better than about 19% of sites in Colorado. Against other Colorado sites it stands out most in spring (64th percentile) and lowest in summer (11th). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (nearest 0.5 mi NW, grown 3 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 0.9 mi E, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Naturita?
- First forage: Mar 1 (dandelion)
- Main flow: Apr 1 to Jul 15, peaking early May (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, spring-flowering shrubs)
- Fall flow: Aug 1 to Sep 15 (rabbitbrush, spotted and diffuse knapweed, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Naturita, 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 29.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, spring-flowering shrubs, native wildflowers; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): spotted and diffuse knapweed, clovers: white, alsike and red, alfalfa, dandelion; light amber, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Fall honey (September to November): rabbitbrush, green/yellow rabbitbrush, rubber rabbitbrush, clovers: white, alsike and red; amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, spring-flowering shrubs, spotted and diffuse knapweed; 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 10 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.5 mi NW, blooms late Jun – early Aug (grown 3 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 9 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.9 mi E, blooms early Jul – late Aug (grown 1 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 Naturita
Mostly: Colorado Plateau Pinyon-Juniper Woodland; Inter-Mountain Basins Big Sagebrush Shrubland; Colorado Plateau Pinyon-Juniper Shrubland.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.07 mi NE; open water 0.07 mi NE.
How Naturita ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 17th | 42nd | 33rd | 60th |
| Colorado | 19th | 64th | 11th | 28th |
| Colorado Plateaus | 84th | 95th | 76th | 72nd |
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 Naturita: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Nucla 3 mi · Redvale 9 mi · Norwood 16 mi · Placerville 32 mi · Sawpit 34 mi · Dove Creek 36 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 Naturita (38.2183, -108.5666); 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.