What's flowering for honey bees near San Diego, CA (San Diego Coastal Plain / Southern California Chaparral & Sage Scrub), month by month — 37 local nectar and pollen sources.
Open the interactive, printable calendar →← More California bee forage calendars
| Plant | Scientific name | Category | Bloom months | Forage value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manzanita | Arctostaphylos glandulosa | Shrubs & Vines | Jan–Mar | medium |
| Avocado | Persea americana | Trees | Feb–Apr | medium |
| Lemonade Berry | Rhus integrifolia | Shrubs & Vines | Feb–Apr | medium |
| Ceanothus (Wild Lilac) | Ceanothus spp. | Shrubs & Vines | Feb–Apr | medium |
| Bur Clover | Medicago polymorpha | Clover & Legumes | Feb–May | medium |
| Fava Bean | Vicia faba | Clover & Legumes | Feb–Apr | low |
| Black Mustard | Brassica nigra | Wildflowers & Weeds | Feb–Apr | high |
| Coastal Sunflower / Encelia | Encelia californica | Wildflowers & Weeds | Feb–May | medium |
| Fiddleneck | Amsinckia intermedia | Wildflowers & Weeds | Feb–Apr | low |
| Coast Live Oak | Quercus agrifolia | Trees | Mar–Apr | low |
| Citrus (Orange/Lemon) | Citrus spp. | Trees | Mar–Apr | high |
| Bottlebrush | Callistemon citrinus | Shrubs & Vines | Mar–Oct | medium |
| Bougainvillea | Bougainvillea spp. | Shrubs & Vines | Mar–Nov | low |
| Cats Claw Vine | Dolichandra unguis-cati | Shrubs & Vines | Mar–May | low |
| White Clover | Trifolium repens | Clover & Legumes | Mar–Jun | medium |
| Deerweed | Acmispon glaber (Lotus scoparius) | Clover & Legumes | Mar–Jul | high |
| California Poppy | Eschscholzia californica | Wildflowers & Weeds | Mar–May | low |
| California Buckeye | Aesculus californica | Trees | Apr–Jun | low |
| California Black Sage | Salvia mellifera | Shrubs & Vines | Apr–Jun | high |
| White Sage | Salvia apiana | Shrubs & Vines | Apr–Jun | high |
| Laurel Sumac | Malosma laurina | Shrubs & Vines | Apr–Jun | medium |
| Chamise | Adenostoma fasciculatum | Shrubs & Vines | Apr–Jun | low |
| Lavender | Lavandula spp. | Shrubs & Vines | Apr–Jul | medium |
| Yellow Sweet Clover | Melilotus officinalis | Clover & Legumes | Apr–Jul | medium |
| Toyon | Heteromeles arbutifolia | Shrubs & Vines | May–Jul | medium |
| California Buckwheat | Eriogonum fasciculatum | Wildflowers & Weeds | May–Sep | high |
| Tipu Tree | Tipuana tipu | Trees | Jun–Aug | low |
| Telegraph Weed | Heterotheca grandiflora | Wildflowers & Weeds | Jun–Oct | medium |
| Fennel | Foeniculum vulgare | Wildflowers & Weeds | Jun–Sep | medium |
| Coastal Goldenbush | Isocoma menziesii | Wildflowers & Weeds | Aug–Nov | medium |
| California Sagebrush | Artemisia californica | Wildflowers & Weeds | Aug–Oct | low |
| Carob Tree | Ceratonia siliqua | Trees | Sep–Oct | low |
| Blue Gum / Silver Dollar Gum understory bloomers aside — Silk Floss Tree | Ceiba speciosa | Trees | Sep–Nov | low |
| Cape Honeysuckle | Tecoma capensis | Shrubs & Vines | Oct–Mar | low |
| Eucalyptus (various spp., esp. red gum & forest red gum) | Eucalyptus camaldulensis / E. globulus | Trees | Nov–Mar | high |
| Rosemary | Salvia rosmarinus | Shrubs & Vines | Nov–Mar | medium |
| African Sumac | Searsia lancea | Trees | Dec–Feb | 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.