community in New Mexico
Honey bee forage in Taos Pueblo, New Mexico
Estimated forage here is better than about 51% of sites in New Mexico. Against other New Mexico sites it stands out most in summer (80th percentile) and lowest in spring (35th). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (nearest 0.4 mi E, grown 2 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Taos Pueblo?
- First forage: Mar 16 (early trees (maple, willow, poplar), dandelion, weedy mustards)
- Main flow: Apr 16 to Sep 15, peaking late May (native wildflowers, summer-flowering shrubs, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Fall flow: Oct 1 to Oct 15 (green/yellow rabbitbrush, rubber rabbitbrush, rabbitbrush)
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Taos Pueblo, 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 15.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): spring-flowering shrubs, native wildflowers, native wildflowers, early trees (maple, willow, poplar); light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): summer-flowering shrubs, alfalfa, spotted and diffuse knapweed, native wildflowers; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Fall honey (September to November): green/yellow rabbitbrush, rubber rabbitbrush, spotted and diffuse knapweed, rabbitbrush; amber, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Whole season (March to November): native wildflowers, summer-flowering shrubs, clovers: white, alsike and red, alfalfa; 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
- Alfalfa: about 51 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.6 mi S, blooms late Jun – early Sep (grown 1 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 Taos Pueblo
Mostly: Inter-Mountain Basins Big Sagebrush Shrubland; Southern Rocky Mountain Ponderosa Pine Woodland; Southern Rocky Mountain Pinyon-Juniper Woodland.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.02 mi E; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.18 mi NE.
How Taos Pueblo ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 16th | 28th | 39th | 69th |
| New Mexico | 51st | 35th | 80th | 60th |
| Arizona/New Mexico Plateau | 81st | 65th | 90th | 53rd |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 52% 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 Taos Pueblo: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Arroyo Seco 4 mi · Taos 6 mi · Arroyo Hondo 7 mi · Ranchos de Taos 7 mi · Talpa 9 mi · San Cristobal 11 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 Taos Pueblo (36.4657, -105.5634); 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.