What's flowering for honey bees near Tucson, AZ (Sonoran Desert - Tucson Basin / Santa Cruz Valley), month by month — 35 local nectar and pollen sources.
Open the interactive, printable calendar →← More Arizona bee forage calendars
| Plant | Scientific name | Category | Bloom months | Forage value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| London Rocket | Sisymbrium irio | Wildflowers & Weeds | Jan–Mar | medium |
| Fairyduster | Calliandra eriophylla | Shrubs & Vines | Feb–Apr | medium |
| Wolfberry | Lycium spp. | Shrubs & Vines | Feb–Apr | medium |
| Globe Mallow | Sphaeralcea ambigua | Wildflowers & Weeds | Feb–May | medium |
| Brittlebush | Encelia farinosa | Wildflowers & Weeds | Feb–Apr | medium |
| Filaree | Erodium cicutarium | Wildflowers & Weeds | Feb–Apr | low |
| Foothill Palo Verde | Parkinsonia microphylla | Trees | Mar–May | high |
| Blue Palo Verde | Parkinsonia florida | Trees | Mar–May | high |
| Netleaf Hackberry | Celtis reticulata | Trees | Mar–Apr | low |
| Creosote Bush | Larrea tridentata | Shrubs & Vines | Mar–May | medium |
| Deer Vetch | Lotus rigidus | Clover & Legumes | Mar–May | low |
| Desert Marigold | Baileya multiradiata | Wildflowers & Weeds | Mar–Oct | low |
| Velvet Mesquite | Prosopis velutina | Trees | Apr–Jun | high |
| Catclaw Acacia | Senegalia greggii | Trees | Apr–Jun | high |
| Ironwood | Olneya tesota | Trees | Apr–May | medium |
| Mexican Palo Verde | Parkinsonia aculeata | Trees | Apr–Aug | medium |
| Whitethorn Acacia | Vachellia constricta | Shrubs & Vines | Apr–Sep | high |
| Range Ratany | Krameria erecta | Shrubs & Vines | Apr–Jun | low |
| Arizona Grape | Vitis arizonica | Shrubs & Vines | Apr–May | low |
| White Sweetclover | Melilotus albus | Clover & Legumes | Apr–Jul | medium |
| Yellow Sweetclover | Melilotus officinalis | Clover & Legumes | Apr–Jul | medium |
| Desert Zinnia | Zinnia acerosa | Wildflowers & Weeds | Apr–Oct | low |
| Desert Willow | Chilopsis linearis | Trees | May–Sep | medium |
| Alfalfa | Medicago sativa | Clover & Legumes | May–Sep | medium |
| Coyote Gourd | Cucurbita digitata | Shrubs & Vines | Jun–Sep | low |
| Scarlet Runner/Desert Bean | Phaseolus spp. | Clover & Legumes | Jul–Sep | low |
| Arizona Poppy | Kallstroemia grandiflora | Wildflowers & Weeds | Jul–Sep | low |
| Devil's Claw | Proboscidea parviflora | Wildflowers & Weeds | Jul–Sep | low |
| Golden Crownbeard/Cowpen Daisy | Verbesina encelioides | Wildflowers & Weeds | Aug–Oct | medium |
| Prairie/Slimleaf Sunflower | Helianthus annuus / H. petiolaris | Wildflowers & Weeds | Aug–Oct | medium |
| Desert Broom | Baccharis sarothroides | Shrubs & Vines | Sep–Nov | medium |
| Threadleaf Snakeweed | Gutierrezia microcephala | Wildflowers & Weeds | Sep–Oct | low |
| Desert Goldenrod | Solidago velutina ssp. sparsiflora | Wildflowers & Weeds | Sep–Oct | medium |
| Burroweed | Isocoma tenuisecta | Wildflowers & Weeds | Sep–Nov | medium |
| Spiny Aster | Chloracantha spinosa | Wildflowers & Weeds | Sep–Nov | 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.