community in New Mexico
Honey bee forage in San Cristobal, New Mexico
Estimated forage here is better than about 44% of sites in New Mexico. Against other New Mexico sites it stands out most in summer (85th percentile) and lowest in spring (24th). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (nearest 1.9 mi SW, grown 2 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in San Cristobal?
- First forage: Apr 1 (native wildflowers, spring-flowering shrubs, dandelion)
- Main flow: May 16 to Aug 15, peaking early Jul (summer-flowering shrubs, spring-flowering shrubs, native wildflowers)
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of San Cristobal, 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 20.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): spring-flowering shrubs, summer-flowering shrubs, native wildflowers, dandelion; light amber, likely to stay liquid a long time
- Summer honey (July and August): summer-flowering shrubs, native wildflowers, spring-flowering shrubs, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster); light amber, likely to stay liquid a long time
- Fall honey (September to November): rabbitbrush, summer-flowering shrubs, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), spotted and diffuse knapweed; amber, likely to stay liquid a long time
- Whole season (March to November): summer-flowering shrubs, spring-flowering shrubs, native wildflowers, rabbitbrush; light amber, likely to stay liquid a long time
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 8 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.9 mi SW, blooms early Jul – early Sep (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 San Cristobal
Mostly: Southern Rocky Mountain Pinyon-Juniper Woodland; Southern Rocky Mountain Ponderosa Pine Woodland; Southern Rocky Mountain Dry-Mesic Montane Mixed Conifer Forest and Woodland.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.07 mi NW; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.18 mi N.
How San Cristobal ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 14th | 22nd | 43rd | 46th |
| New Mexico | 44th | 24th | 85th | 29th |
| Southern Rockies | 20th | 63rd | 18th | 16th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 92% 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 San Cristobal: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Arroyo Hondo 6 mi · Arroyo Seco 7 mi · Questa 7 mi · Taos Pueblo 11 mi · Taos Ski Valley 11 mi · Red River 14 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 San Cristobal (36.6101, -105.6318); 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.