I keep bees in North Texas, and my mini-climate in southwest Fort Worth has a lot more in common with West Texas than it does with Dallas. We get less rain, when it does rain I only get it to soak into my garden lot because last year I added horizontal swales of garden soil/mushroom compost to slow down the run off and make some soak in. I have produced 2 inch tall wildflower plants, (April 2015) and yes I planted at the right time, even if I water, it dries out pretty quickly.
I have already ruled out dutch clover after wasting 2 lbs of seed over a 4 year period, and buckwheat appears to be just a waste of money, can't even seem to get buffalograss to germinate as the ground cycles from clay to concrete in my backyard (less amendments than the garden).
So what works in Nevada MIGHT grow here, I am open to suggestions.
looking for drought hardy bee fodder suggestions
I am also a bee keeper and always in search of flowers for the ladies. I grow a plant that does well here despite the weird weather and clay soil. It has yellow flowers that make a lot of pollen (it might be in the sunflower family but is smaller than most sunflowers.) I am happy to send you seed if you like.
Also, the salvias do well and bees love that. I don't know if the ones I have grow from seed though.
Around here there are a lot of mesquites, mimosas, and bushes that bloom. The bees really like live oak trees too.
I have live oak, salvia, blooming bushes, once in awhile my rosemary even blooms. I have collected seed from some wild small sunflowers - maximillian I think ? that grow in the open fields here, hope to plant it, and the prairie does get "snow on the Prairie" in July and August. I am really looking for a blooming ground cover like clover - and I don't have to plant vetch, it grows wild and in plenty. But only blooms for a short period. I have been keeping bees since March 2011, the 2nd year of our big drought, and have been buying up discount nursery stock to shove in the greenhouse over the winter... yes I am dedicated to my ladies.
Then link has a photo of maximillian - I don't think the flowers are exactly the same on the wild bunch here, but they are close. I refrigerated some seed after i have it dried. http://www.illinoiswildflowers.info/prairie/plantx/mx_sunflowerx.htm