- What is Bee Come Native?
- A set of essential gardening tools. A sun map shows how many hours of direct sun each square foot of your property gets — hour by hour, season by season. A free Garden Report tells you your USDA growing zone and frost dates — enter your ZIP and email and we'll send it over.
- How much does it cost?
- Your sun map is free — map every property you own, revisit it forever. Your growing zone and frost dates (the Garden Report) are free too. The paid product is the Planner — it turns your sun map into what to plant where — a $15/month subscription that's coming soon.
- How do the growing zone and frost dates work?
- Enter your ZIP. Your USDA hardiness zone is computed from about ten years of real historical winter-low temperatures for your exact location (the same measure the USDA uses), so it's accurate even in mountains and along coasts. Your frost dates estimate your last spring frost, first fall frost, and growing-season length. Both are free.
- How accurate is the sun math?
- It's calculated, not guessed. Bee Come Native uses the standard astronomical equations for sun position, then casts real shadows from the structures and trees you place — the same math behind published sunrise/sunset tables. Accuracy comes down to how carefully you trace your obstructions and set their heights.
- Can it tell morning sun from afternoon sun?
- Yes — and it matters. Three hours of soft morning sun is a different world from three hours of harsh afternoon. Bee Come Native splits the two per spot, so you can place wild columbine, hostas, and ferns where the light is gentle and save the hot afternoon corners for tomatoes and coneflower.
- Do I need an account?
- A free account lets you save your sun maps and revisit them on any device — you'll create one (free) the first time you map a property. Your Garden Report is emailed instantly with no account at all. The Planner, when it launches, will be a paid subscription on top of your free account.
- Do I need to download an app?
- No. Bee Come Native runs right in your browser. On a phone you can add it to your home screen for one-tap access — no app store required.
- What regions do you support?
- Bee Come Native is built for the US right now — address lookup, growing zones, and frost dates are US-focused. The underlying sun math is global.
- Is my data private?
- Your property data stays yours. We don't sell it.
Still wondering about something?
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