What's flowering for honey bees near Merritt Island, FL (East Central Florida Coastal Scrub & Flatwoods (Merritt Island / Indian River Lagoon)), month by month — 32 local nectar and pollen sources.
Open the interactive, printable calendar →← More Florida bee forage calendars
| Plant | Scientific name | Category | Bloom months | Forage value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Red Maple | Acer rubrum | Trees | Jan–Feb | medium |
| Spanish Needles (Beggar-ticks) | Bidens alba | Wildflowers & Weeds | Jan–Dec | high |
| Spanish Needle relative - Shepherd's Needle | Bidens pilosa | Wildflowers & Weeds | Jan–Dec | high |
| Slash Pine | Pinus elliottii | Trees | Feb–Mar | low |
| Southern Live Oak | Quercus virginiana | Trees | Feb–Apr | medium |
| Dahoon Holly | Ilex cassine | Trees | Mar–May | medium |
| Southern Wax Myrtle | Morella cerifera | Shrubs & Vines | Mar–Apr | low |
| White Clover | Trifolium repens | Clover & Legumes | Mar–May | medium |
| Tallow Wood / Popcorn Tree | Triadica sebifera | Trees | Apr–May | medium |
| Sea Grape | Coccoloba uvifera | Trees | Apr–Jun | low |
| Saw Palmetto | Serenoa repens | Shrubs & Vines | Apr–Jun | high |
| Gallberry (Inkberry Holly) | Ilex glabra | Shrubs & Vines | Apr–Jun | high |
| Virginia Creeper | Parthenocissus quinquefolia | Shrubs & Vines | Apr–Jun | low |
| Muscadine Grape | Vitis rotundifolia | Shrubs & Vines | Apr–May | low |
| Elderberry | Sambucus nigra ssp. canadensis | Shrubs & Vines | Apr–Jun | low |
| Railroad Vine (Beach Morning Glory) | Ipomoea pes-caprae | Shrubs & Vines | Apr–Oct | low |
| Spanish Bayonet (Yucca) | Yucca aloifolia | Wildflowers & Weeds | Apr–Jun | low |
| Tread-softly / Bull Nettle | Cnidoscolus stimulosus | Wildflowers & Weeds | Apr–Aug | low |
| Cabbage Palm | Sabal palmetto | Trees | May–Jun | medium |
| Mangrove (Black/White/Red) | Avicennia germinans / Laguncularia racemosa / Rhizophora mangle | Trees | May–Aug | high |
| Firebush | Hamelia patens | Shrubs & Vines | May–Oct | medium |
| Blue Vervain | Verbena hastata | Wildflowers & Weeds | May–Aug | low |
| Buttonbush | Cephalanthus occidentalis | Shrubs & Vines | Jun–Aug | medium |
| Rattlebox / Rattlebox Bush | Crotalaria spp. | Clover & Legumes | Jun–Oct | medium |
| Partridge Pea | Chamaecrista fasciculata | Clover & Legumes | Jun–Sep | medium |
| Alyce Clover | Alysicarpus vaginalis | Clover & Legumes | Jul–Sep | low |
| Climbing Hempvine | Mikania scandens | Shrubs & Vines | Aug–Oct | medium |
| Camphorweed | Heterotheca subaxillaris | Wildflowers & Weeds | Aug–Nov | medium |
| Brazilian Pepper | Schinus terebinthifolia | Shrubs & Vines | Sep–Nov | high |
| Goldenrod | Solidago spp. | Wildflowers & Weeds | Sep–Nov | high |
| Saltmarsh Aster | Symphyotrichum tenuifolium | Wildflowers & Weeds | Sep–Nov | medium |
| Dogfennel | Eupatorium capillifolium | Wildflowers & Weeds | Sep–Oct | low |
A bee forage bloom calendar shows which nectar and pollen plants are blooming in a given area, month by month, so beekeepers can plan colony buildup, splits, and honey harvests around the local bloom.
Every calendar starts with your zip code's specific growing region — its climate, elevation, and local ecology. From there, we use AI trained on horticultural and beekeeping knowledge to work out which nectar and pollen plants actually grow there and when they typically bloom, the same kind of judgment call an experienced local beekeeping mentor or extension agent would make, just automated so any US zip code can get a calendar in minutes instead of years of local observation. Each calendar typically covers 25-40 plants across trees, shrubs and vines, clover and legumes, and wildflowers, plus the area's named honey flows. We keep the exact generation process under wraps, but the goal is always the same: real, locally-grounded bloom timing instead of generic national averages.
The region-specific bloom timing, honey flows, and beekeeping notes are produced by an AI system drawing on general horticultural, ecological, and beekeeping knowledge, applied to your area's specific climate and geography — rather than looked up from a single official bloom-timing database, since no such nationwide dataset exists at this level of local detail.
A nectar dearth (or dearth period) is a stretch of the year when little or no medium-to-high value forage is blooming. Colonies may need supplemental feeding during a dearth to avoid starvation or robbing behavior.
A honey flow (or nectar flow) is a period when nectar is abundant enough for a colony to produce surplus honey beyond what it needs to survive, often tied to a specific major regional bloom like clover or black locust.
Bloom timing is generated from regional climate and ecology data and is intended as a general planning reference. It may not perfectly match a specific microclimate, so it's worth cross-checking against your own field observations.
Yes. Enter any US zip code to get a free, printable bee forage bloom calendar — no signup required.