community in New Mexico
Honey bee forage in La Tierra, New Mexico
Estimated forage here is better than about 36% of sites in New Mexico. Spring, summer and fall all rank about the same against other New Mexico sites. Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer), 0.3 mi NW.
When is the honey flow in La Tierra?
- First forage: Mar 1 (dandelion, native wildflowers)
- Main flow: Apr 16 to Jun 30, peaking early May (clovers: white, alsike and red, spring-flowering shrubs, dandelion)
- Fall flow: Jul 16 to Sep 30 (rabbitbrush, green/yellow rabbitbrush, dandelion)
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of La Tierra, 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 27.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, spring-flowering shrubs, native wildflowers; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): clovers: white, alsike and red, rabbitbrush, dandelion, spotted and diffuse knapweed; light amber, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): rabbitbrush, green/yellow rabbitbrush, rubber rabbitbrush, dandelion; dark amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, spring-flowering shrubs, rabbitbrush; 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 La Tierra
Mostly: Southern Rocky Mountain Pinyon-Juniper Woodland; Inter-Mountain Basins Semi-Desert Shrub-Steppe; Inter-Mountain Basins Big Sagebrush Shrubland.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.3 mi NW; pond, lake or river 0.94 mi W.
How La Tierra ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 11th | 34th | 22nd | 57th |
| New Mexico | 36th | 44th | 44th | 41st |
| Arizona/New Mexico Plateau | 56th | 77th | 57th | 33rd |
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 La Tierra: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Las Campanas 3 mi · Tano Road 3 mi · Tres Arroyos 5 mi · Tesuque Pueblo 5 mi · Peak Place 6 mi · Agua Fria 6 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 Tierra (35.7473, -106.0309); 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.