community in New Mexico
Honey bee forage in La Madera, New Mexico
Estimated forage here is better than about 37% 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 0.1 mi E, grown 3 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in La Madera?
- First forage: Mar 1 (early trees (maple, willow, poplar), weedy mustards, dandelion)
- Main flow: Apr 1 to Jun 30, peaking early May (spring-flowering shrubs, early trees (maple, willow, poplar), native wildflowers)
- Fall flow: Jul 16 to Sep 30 (alfalfa, green/yellow rabbitbrush, rubber rabbitbrush)
- 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 May 3.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): spring-flowering shrubs, early trees (maple, willow, poplar), native wildflowers, native wildflowers; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): alfalfa, native wildflowers, green/yellow rabbitbrush, rubber rabbitbrush; light amber, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Fall honey (September to November): green/yellow rabbitbrush, rubber rabbitbrush, rabbitbrush, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster); dark amber
- Whole season (March to November): alfalfa, spring-flowering shrubs, native wildflowers, early trees (maple, willow, poplar); light amber, likely to set within weeks to a few 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 14 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.1 mi E, blooms early Jun – late 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; Inter-Mountain Basins Big Sagebrush Shrubland; Colorado Plateau Pinyon-Juniper Woodland.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.03 mi SE; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.04 mi W.
How La Madera ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 11th | 33rd | 25th | 58th |
| New Mexico | 37th | 42nd | 49th | 43rd |
| Southern Rockies | 15th | 83rd | 4th | 30th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 62% 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
Ojo Caliente 4 mi · El Rito 8 mi · Canova 15 mi · Lyden 15 mi · Medanales 16 mi · Velarde 16 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 (36.3767, -106.0432); 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.