At the entrance to the Oslo Riverfront Conservation Area, now flourishes a big “bush” of beggarticks (Bidens alba). Yes, this plant is weedy and hitchhikes its way around via its 2-toothed seeds that give rise to its species name, Bidens: Bi = 2, dens = […]
All posts tagged: southern carpenter bee
Carpenter Bee on Bee Balm
Bee balm (Monarda punctuata) attracts butterflies, bees, and other pollinators. Look how pollen from the anthers of the bee balm sticks to the top of this bulky, native southern carpenter bee (Xylocopa micans), easily identified by its ‘shiny hiney‘. This carpenter bee methodically moved from […]
Pollen-ator
Flowers ‘reward’ their pollinators with nectar and pollen. Above a southern carpenter bee (Xylocopa micans), identifiable in part by its “shiny hiney“, heads toward a partridge pea (Chamaecrista fasciculata). The nickel to quarter-sized flowers of this member of the Fabaceae (pea) family are especially attractive […]
The Birds & the Bees
Bees, birds, butterflies, bats, beetles, and other insects are all important pollinators. We are in the midst of pollinator week — June 16 through June 22, 2014, so bee nice to our pollinators … Minimize (or void) the […]
