community in Texas
Honey bee forage in Porter Heights, Texas
Estimated forage here is better than about 89% of sites in Texas. Against other Texas sites it stands out most in spring (71st percentile) and lowest in summer (43rd). Biggest nearby bee crops: corn (nearest 2.4 mi S, grown 2 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Porter Heights?
- First forage: Jan 1 (dandelion, early trees (maple, willow, poplar), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard))
- Main flow: Jan 16 to Apr 15, peaking late Feb (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard))
- Season ends: Dec 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Porter Heights, 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 18.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), dandelion, summer-flowering shrubs; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Summer honey (July and August): garden flowers, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion; light amber, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), garden flowers; amber
- Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), dandelion, summer-flowering shrubs; 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 4 acres in a typical year, nearest 2.4 mi S, blooms late Apr – late May (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 Porter Heights
Mostly: Southeastern Native Ruderal Forest; West Gulf Coastal Plain Large River Floodplain Forest; Developed, low intensity (houses and yards).
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.07 mi SE; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.33 mi W.
How Porter Heights ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 79th | 83rd | 21st | 38th |
| Texas | 89th | 71st | 43rd | 45th |
| South Central Plains | 90th | 67th | 69th | 70th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 60% 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 Porter Heights: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Spring 7 mi · Oak Ridge North 7 mi · Woodloch 7 mi · Grangerland 7 mi · Shenandoah 8 mi · Woodbranch 9 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 Porter Heights (30.1484, -95.3237); 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.