community in New Mexico
Honey bee forage in Golden, New Mexico
Estimated forage here is better than about 23% of sites in New Mexico. Against other New Mexico sites it stands out most in fall (53rd percentile) and lowest in spring (23rd). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (nearest 2.4 mi N, grown 2 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Golden?
- First forage: Mar 16 (native wildflowers, dandelion, spring-flowering shrubs)
- Main flow: Apr 16 to Jul 15, peaking early May (spring-flowering shrubs, native wildflowers, native wildflowers)
- Fall flow: Aug 1 to Oct 31 (green/yellow rabbitbrush, rabbitbrush, rubber rabbitbrush)
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Golden, 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): native wildflowers, spring-flowering shrubs, native wildflowers, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); light amber, likely to set over some months
- Summer honey (July and August): green/yellow rabbitbrush, asters, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), rabbitbrush; amber, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): green/yellow rabbitbrush, rabbitbrush, rubber rabbitbrush, asters; dark amber
- Whole season (March to November): native wildflowers, spring-flowering shrubs, green/yellow rabbitbrush, rabbitbrush; 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
- Alfalfa: about 7 acres in a typical year, nearest 2.4 mi N, blooms early Jun – late Aug (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 Golden
Mostly: Southern Rocky Mountain Pinyon-Juniper Woodland; Inter-Mountain Basins Semi-Desert Shrub-Steppe; Inter-Mountain Basins Semi-Desert Grassland.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.32 mi NW; pond, lake or river 0.58 mi NW.
How Golden ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 8th | 22nd | 19th | 64th |
| New Mexico | 23rd | 23rd | 35th | 53rd |
| Arizona/New Mexico Mountains | 30th | 23rd | 46th | 83rd |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 73% 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 Golden: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
San Pedro 3 mi · La Madera 7 mi · Cedar Grove 7 mi · Paa-Ko 8 mi · Sandia Knolls 8 mi · Edgewood 9 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 Golden (35.2637, -106.223); 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.