community in Texas
Honey bee forage in Willow Grove, Texas
Estimated forage here is better than about 86% of sites in Texas. Against other Texas sites it stands out most in spring (95th percentile) and lowest in fall (19th). Biggest nearby bee crops: corn (nearest 0.4 mi NE, grown 3 of the last 5 years); sorghum (nearest 0.5 mi N, grown 2 of the last 5 years); cotton (nearest 2.3 mi E, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Willow Grove?
- First forage: Jan 1 (dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard))
- Main flow: Feb 1 to Jun 15, peaking early Mar (clovers: white, alsike and red, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), dandelion)
- Season ends: Jul 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Willow Grove, 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 4.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), dandelion; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Summer honey (July and August): clovers: white, alsike and red, garden flowers, dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): garden flowers, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster); amber
- Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), dandelion, garden flowers; 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 2,187 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.6 mi W, blooms early May – early Jun (grown 4 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 Willow Grove
Mostly: Great Plains Comanchian Ruderal Grassland; Edwards Plateau Limestone Savanna and Woodland; Open water.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0 mi S; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0 mi S.
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 Willow Grove ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 78th | 94th | 32nd | 16th |
| Texas | 86th | 95th | 74th | 19th |
| Cross Timbers | 94th | 96th | 42nd | 3rd |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 40% 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 Willow Grove: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Woodway 6 mi · China Spring 6 mi · Waco 6 mi · Beverly Hills 9 mi · Crawford 9 mi · Hewitt 10 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 Willow Grove (31.5591, -97.2961); 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.