community in Colorado
Honey bee forage in Perry Park, Colorado
Estimated forage here is better than about 84% of sites in Colorado. Against other Colorado sites it stands out most in spring (92nd percentile) and lowest in fall (56th). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (nearest 3.2 mi NW, grown 2 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Perry Park?
- First forage: Mar 16 (dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), native wildflowers)
- Main flow: May 1 to Aug 15, peaking late May (summer-flowering shrubs, clovers: white, alsike and red, spring-flowering shrubs)
- Fall flow: Sep 1 to Sep 15 (fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Perry Park, 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 12.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): summer-flowering shrubs, dandelion, spring-flowering shrubs, clovers: white, alsike and red; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): summer-flowering shrubs, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), clovers: white, alsike and red, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); light amber, likely to stay liquid a long time
- Fall honey (September to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, spotted and diffuse knapweed; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): summer-flowering shrubs, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); 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 7 acres in a typical year, nearest 3.2 mi NW, blooms late Jun – early Sep (grown 2 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 Perry Park
Mostly: Southern Rocky Mountain Ponderosa Pine Woodland; Western Great Plains Foothill and Piedmont Grassland; Rocky Mountain Gambel Oak-Mixed Montane Shrubland.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.02 mi N; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.13 mi W.
How Perry Park ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 58th | 55th | 71st | 77th |
| Colorado | 84th | 92nd | 69th | 56th |
| Southwestern Tablelands | 95th | 59th | 97th | 51st |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 74% 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 Perry Park: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Larkspur 5 mi · Castle Rock 10 mi · Palmer Lake 10 mi · Sedalia 12 mi · Woodmoor 13 mi · Westcreek 13 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 Perry Park (39.2605, -104.9678); 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.