city in Texas
Honey bee forage in Orchard, Texas
Estimated forage here is better than about 93% of sites in Texas. Against other Texas sites it stands out most in spring and summer (86th percentile) and lowest in fall (9th). Biggest nearby bee crops: corn (nearest 0.2 mi E, grown 1 of the last 5 years); cotton (nearest 0.2 mi E, grown 3 of the last 5 years); sorghum (nearest 0.2 mi E, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Orchard?
- First forage: Jan 1 (dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard))
- Main flow: Jan 16 to Jun 30, peaking late Feb (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, cotton)
- Season ends: Dec 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Orchard, 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 16.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, cotton, dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Summer honey (July and August): cotton, clovers: white, alsike and red, garden flowers, dandelion; extra light amber, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Fall honey (September to November): garden flowers, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster); amber
- Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, cotton, dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); 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
- Corn: about 650 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.2 mi E, blooms late Apr – late May (grown 1 of the last 5 years)
- Cotton: about 547 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.3 mi E, blooms late May – late Jul (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 Orchard
Mostly: Western Warm Temperate Pasture and Hayland; Southeastern Ruderal Grassland; Cotton.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.28 mi NW; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.33 mi SE.
Things to watch
- Bee crops nearby that are often sprayed. Cotton: insecticides used on about 39% of surveyed US acres (2025). Figures are from USDA's Agricultural Chemical Use Survey, matched by crop type from the crop map. The survey counts any insecticide use in the crop year (not seed treatments) and doesn't say when; ask nearby growers about spray timing.
How Orchard ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 83rd | 89th | 41st | 5th |
| Texas | 93rd | 86th | 86th | 9th |
| Western Gulf Coastal Plain | 82nd | 81st | 91st | 19th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 53% 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 Orchard: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Weston Lakes 4 mi · Simonton 5 mi · Wallis 6 mi · East Bernard 8 mi · Fulshear 8 mi · Beasley 8 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 Orchard (29.6029, -95.9688); 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.