community in New Mexico
Honey bee forage in Tierra Amarilla, New Mexico
Estimated forage here is better than about 96% of sites in New Mexico. Against other New Mexico sites it stands out most in summer (98th percentile) and lowest in spring (53rd). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (nearest 0.1 mi SW, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Tierra Amarilla?
- First forage: Apr 1 (dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Main flow: Apr 16 to Sep 15, peaking late May (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, alfalfa)
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Tierra Amarilla, 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 21.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), summer-flowering shrubs; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): alfalfa, clovers: white, alsike and red, summer-flowering shrubs, spotted and diffuse knapweed; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Fall honey (September to November): spotted and diffuse knapweed, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, alfalfa; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, alfalfa, spotted and diffuse knapweed; extra 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 139 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.6 mi E, 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 Tierra Amarilla
Mostly: Southern Rocky Mountain Ponderosa Pine Woodland; Inter-Mountain Basins Big Sagebrush Shrubland; Colorado Plateau Pinyon-Juniper Woodland.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.19 mi W; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.2 mi W.
How Tierra Amarilla ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 46th | 41st | 68th | 79th |
| New Mexico | 96th | 53rd | 98th | 77th |
| Southern Rockies | 73rd | 93rd | 54th | 63rd |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 35% 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 Tierra Amarilla: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Los Ojos 2 mi · Ensenada 2 mi · Brazos 3 mi · Chama 13 mi · Canjilon 17 mi · Lumberton 26 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 Tierra Amarilla (36.7059, -106.5651); 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.