community in New Mexico
Honey bee forage in La Madera, New Mexico
Estimated forage here is better than about 43% of sites in New Mexico. Spring, summer and fall all rank about the same against other New Mexico sites. Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (nearest 1.3 mi S, grown 3 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in La Madera?
- First forage: Mar 1 (dandelion, native wildflowers, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard))
- Main flow: Apr 1 to Jun 30, peaking late Apr (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, native wildflowers)
- Fall flow: Jul 16 to Sep 15 (rabbitbrush, dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of La Madera, 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 23.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, native wildflowers, spring-flowering shrubs; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Summer honey (July and August): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), rabbitbrush; light amber, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): rabbitbrush, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), green/yellow rabbitbrush, rubber rabbitbrush; amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, native wildflowers, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); 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
- Alfalfa: about 3 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.3 mi S, blooms early Jun – early Aug (grown 3 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 La Madera
Mostly: Southern Rocky Mountain Pinyon-Juniper Woodland; Southern Rocky Mountain Ponderosa Pine Woodland; Inter-Mountain Basins Semi-Desert Shrub-Steppe.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.06 mi E; pond, lake or river 0.86 mi SE.
How La Madera ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 13th | 39th | 25th | 58th |
| New Mexico | 43rd | 50th | 49th | 43rd |
| Arizona/New Mexico Mountains | 59th | 57th | 60th | 77th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 77% 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 La Madera: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Paa-Ko 2 mi · Sandia Park 5 mi · San Antonito 5 mi · Sandia Knolls 5 mi · Golden 7 mi · San Pedro 8 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 La Madera (35.2345, -106.334); 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.