During the last few years I’ve worked hard at collecting late-flowering plants. In spring and early summer, nectar and pollen plants abound, but late summer and autumn can be a problem for pollinators. This year, I decided to take an inventory of what was blooming this first week of September. Dahlias steal the pollinator show […] Read more
As an observer of nature, I’m always intrigued by the variation in plant performance. It seems that each year some plants thrive while others malinger. The same is true of bees and other pollinators. My husband calls it the “year of” syndrome. For us, this was the year of the pear. Right now, I don’t […] Read more
Here are some nice photos of Autumn Joy sedum with honey bees attached. It seems like everyone knew about this plant except me, so I’m happy to catch up. Beekeeper Marc Balboa, who made the photos, says: My bees are crazy over them. Native bees too, although I’m not sure which. Bumble bees for sure, […] Read more
Right now I’m totally fixated on Autumn Joy sedum as a honey bee plant. It began when I was typing the responses to the Honey Bee Suite plant survey. The same plant repeatedly cropped up in the responses, and it was unusual in that people were always very specific about the variety: it couldn’t be […] Read more
I will soon publish the results of the Bee Plant Survey that you answered back in November. Miriam Valere, a new beekeeper in Salt Lake City has been doing all the work, and I owe her a huge public thank you. For each plant Miriam has verified the scientific name, added the USDA hardiness zones […] Read more
I am announcing a new project here at Honey Bee Suite, a collaboration with Bill Reynolds of Minnesota. Credit the idea to Bill. He mentioned that many beekeepers don’t know what their bees are foraging on simply because they can’t identify the plants. So he thought it would be useful to link the list of […] Read more
The Pacific waterleaf, Hydrophyllum tenuipes, is a northwest native plant that grows in shaded, moist forestland. Spreading by underground rhizomes, it often covers large areas and gives the ground a soft and undulating appearance. The flowers appear in April and May and are usually white with pink filaments, but in certain areas such as the […] Read more