town in Colorado
Honey bee forage in Springfield, Colorado
Estimated forage here is better than about 89% of sites in Colorado. Against other Colorado sites it stands out most in spring (99th percentile) and lowest in summer (48th). Biggest nearby bee crops: sorghum (nearest 0.4 mi SE, grown 2 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 1.6 mi E, grown 1 of the last 5 years); alfalfa (nearest 0.8 mi E, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Springfield?
- First forage: Mar 1 (dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Main flow: Mar 16 to Jul 15, peaking late Apr (clovers: white, alsike and red, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), dandelion)
- Fall flow: Aug 1 to Sep 15 (fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Springfield, 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 19.
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, likely to set over some months
- Summer honey (July and August): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion; light amber, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), garden flowers, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red; amber, likely to set over some months
- Whole season (March to November): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster); light amber, likely to set over some months
Nectar-source estimate (plants weighted by how much bees favor them), not a pollen analysis. Full honey estimate.
Bee crops within flight range
- Sorghum: about 5 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.4 mi SE, blooms late Jun – late Jul (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 Springfield
Mostly: Western Great Plains Shortgrass Prairie; Northern & Central Plains Ruderal & Planted Grassland; Fallow / idle cropland.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.31 mi SW; pond, lake or river 0.48 mi SW.
How Springfield ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 64th | 75th | 60th | 77th |
| Colorado | 89th | 99th | 48th | 57th |
| High Plains | 86th | 97th | 40th | 76th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 61% 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 Springfield: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Vilas 10 mi · Pritchett 13 mi · Two Buttes 16 mi · Walsh 19 mi · Campo 21 mi · Kim 42 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 Springfield (37.4049, -102.6189); 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.