town in Texas
Honey bee forage in Valentine, Texas
Estimated forage here is better than about 25% of sites in Texas. Against other Texas sites it stands out most in fall (67th percentile) and lowest in summer (35th). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (nearest 1.9 mi NW, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Valentine?
- First forage: Jan 16 (dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard))
- Main flow: Feb 16 to May 15, peaking late Mar (roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), summer-flowering trees (locust, linden), clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Fall flow: Jun 1 to Jun 30 (roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), spotted and diffuse knapweed)
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Valentine, 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 Mar 12.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), summer-flowering trees (locust, linden), clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), rabbitbrush, dandelion; light amber, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), rabbitbrush, garden flowers; amber
- Whole season (March to November): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), summer-flowering trees (locust, linden), fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), clovers: white, alsike and red; 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 18 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.9 mi NW, blooms late Apr – early Jul (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 Valentine
Mostly: Chihuahuan Mixed Desert and Thornscrub; Chihuahuan Loamy Plains Desert Grassland; Chihuahuan Creosotebush Desert Scrub.
Nearest mapped water: pond, lake or river 0.12 mi S; open water 0.74 mi NW.
How Valentine ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 30th | 65th | 18th | 54th |
| Texas | 25th | 38th | 35th | 67th |
| Chihuahuan Deserts | 85th | 83rd | 86th | 63rd |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 89% 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 Valentine: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Marfa 34 mi · Fort Davis 36 mi · Van Horn 37 mi · Alpine 52 mi · Balmorhea 52 mi · Sierra Blanca 65 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 Valentine (30.5886, -104.4953); 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.