community in Texas
Honey bee forage in Matagorda, Texas
Estimated forage here is better than about 71% of sites in Texas. Against other Texas sites it stands out most in fall (75th percentile) and lowest in spring and summer (40th). Biggest nearby bee crops: corn (nearest 1.2 mi NW, grown 2 of the last 5 years); sorghum (nearest 0.7 mi N, grown 1 of the last 5 years); cotton (nearest 3.4 mi N, grown 3 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Matagorda?
- First forage: Jan 1 (dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Main flow: Jan 16 to Apr 15, peaking late Feb (roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion)
- Fall flow: May 1 to Jun 15 (roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion)
- Season ends: Dec 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Matagorda, 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 Feb 13.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, summer-flowering shrubs; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Summer honey (July and August): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), garden flowers, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red; amber, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), garden flowers; amber
- Whole season (March to November): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), dandelion; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
Nectar-source estimate (plants weighted by how much bees favor them), not a pollen analysis. Full honey estimate.
Bee crops within flight range
- Corn: about 28 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.2 mi NW, blooms late Apr – late May (grown 2 of the last 5 years)
- Sorghum: about 1 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.7 mi N, blooms late Apr – late May (grown 1 of the last 5 years)
- Cotton: about 38 acres in a typical year, nearest 3.4 mi N, blooms late May – late Jul (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 Matagorda
Mostly: Open water; Texas Coast Fresh and Oligohaline Tidal Marsh; Texas Coast Salt and Brackish Tidal Marsh.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.19 mi NE; pond, lake or river 0.43 mi N.
How Matagorda ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 64th | 67th | 20th | 60th |
| Texas | 71st | 40th | 40th | 75th |
| Western Gulf Coastal Plain | 42nd | 34th | 49th | 80th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 59% 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 Matagorda: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Wadsworth 10 mi · Palacios 16 mi · Markham 19 mi · Blessing 20 mi · Bay City 20 mi · Sargent 21 mi
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 Matagorda (28.6965, -95.9666); 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.