community in New Mexico
Honey bee forage in Black Rock, New Mexico
Estimated forage here is better than about 56% of sites in New Mexico. Against other New Mexico sites it stands out most in summer (71st percentile) and lowest in spring (55th). Nearest mapped water: open water, 0.26 mi NW.
When is the honey flow in Black Rock?
- First forage: Mar 1 (dandelion, weedy mustards, willows)
- Main flow: Apr 1 to Jul 15, peaking early May (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, native wildflowers)
- Fall flow: Aug 1 to Oct 31 (green/yellow rabbitbrush, rubber rabbitbrush, spotted and diffuse knapweed)
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Black Rock, 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 1.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, native wildflowers, native wildflowers; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): spotted and diffuse knapweed, green/yellow rabbitbrush, native wildflowers, clovers: white, alsike and red; amber, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): green/yellow rabbitbrush, rubber rabbitbrush, rabbitbrush, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster); dark amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, green/yellow rabbitbrush, native wildflowers; 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
No rated bee crops within about 3.7 miles of the town center. The forage here is wild plants, trees and gardens.
The land and water around Black Rock
Mostly: Inter-Mountain Basins Big Sagebrush Shrubland; Colorado Plateau Pinyon-Juniper Woodland; Inter-Mountain Basins Semi-Desert Shrub-Steppe.
Nearest mapped water: open water 0.26 mi NW; pond, lake or river 0.27 mi N.
How Black Rock ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 19th | 42nd | 34th | 71st |
| New Mexico | 56th | 55th | 71st | 64th |
| Arizona/New Mexico Plateau | 87th | 87th | 85th | 58th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 43% 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 Black Rock: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Zuni Pueblo 3 mi · Sagar 12 mi · Vanderwagen 14 mi · Ramah 17 mi · Pinehaven 19 mi · Timberlake 20 mi
All towns in New Mexico · 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 Black Rock (35.0809, -108.7982); 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.