town in Colorado
Honey bee forage in Poncha Springs, Colorado
Estimated forage here is better than about 94% of sites in Colorado. Against other Colorado sites it stands out most in fall (93rd percentile) and lowest in spring (83rd). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (nearest 0.1 mi NE, grown 4 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Poncha Springs?
- First forage: Apr 1 (dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Main flow: May 1 to Sep 15, peaking late May (clovers: white, alsike and red, alfalfa, dandelion)
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Poncha Springs, 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 24.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, spring-flowering shrubs, summer-flowering shrubs; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): alfalfa, clovers: white, alsike and red, spotted and diffuse knapweed, summer-flowering shrubs; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Fall honey (September to November): alfalfa, clovers: white, alsike and red, spotted and diffuse knapweed, dandelion; extra light amber, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, alfalfa, dandelion, spotted and diffuse knapweed; extra 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 33 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.1 mi NE, blooms early Jul – late Sep (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 Poncha Springs
Mostly: Southern Rocky Mountain Pinyon-Juniper Woodland; Southern Rocky Mountain Dry-Mesic Montane Mixed Conifer Forest and Woodland; Southern Rocky Mountain Ponderosa Pine Woodland.
Nearest mapped water: pond, lake or river 0.08 mi W; open water 0.08 mi W.
How Poncha Springs ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 71st | 48th | 79th | 96th |
| Colorado | 94th | 83rd | 88th | 93rd |
| Southern Rockies | 96th | 98th | 86th | 91st |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 38% 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 Poncha Springs: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Salida 4 mi · Smeltertown 4 mi · Maysville 8 mi · Garfield 12 mi · Howard 15 mi · Nathrop 16 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 Poncha Springs (38.5212, -106.0721); 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.