This one just made me smile when I saw it. The plant’s also called the bluebeard (and you can see why…although it’s purple-ey, too). Blooms in the late summer and early fall and it’s such such such a magnet for pollinators. They’re so attracted to it. Love the bee in this one. It’s a good look and fun to see her neck a bit. Shadows are a little nasty, but she looks really good.
Tag: Caryopteris
Bonus – Skipper on the Bluebeard
Love the tongue. The precision amazes me!
Photobombing the Caryopteris
Guess most people call it “bluebeard”. But you kind of go with what you learn first, I guess. Not much special about this one. But I did like the little visitor coming across the bottom.
Been shooting lots of birds lately. Had some fun with harriers yesterday battling over a fish. Guess I’ll toss that in below. Don’t think they’re pollinating anything. But…really neat anyway.
Let’s pretend they’re pollinating something to keep up with the theme:
Honeybee on the Bluebeard
Or caryopteris, if you prefer. If you look closely, you can see the blue pollen just starting to fill her basket. Such a great plant for the pollinators. They just flock to it. Look very closely for her tongue. It’s that orange thing – very prominent once you see it. Really going deep.
Sweet Beeneck on the Bluebeard
I just love seeing beeneck. This is one of the best examples I’ve seen. Don’t know why but that just makes me smile. And it’s really something I’ve never seen without the camera.
Bombus huntii on a Caryopteris – or Bluebeard
Well, I didn’t know until today that the common name of this plant is Bluebeard. Much easier to remember than Caryopteris.
Great plant for late summer pollinators. Always seems to be teeming with life – and bees. It’s a tough one to shoot because of the way it grows. Seems a little Dr. Seuss-ian. Notice how, in this picture, at least, there’s a huge explosion of flowers and buds at the top of the stalk. There are others underneath it – and they tend to throw shadows all over themselves – the tops working like parasols.
Anyway – this is a neat shot and posture of the Bombus huntii. Beadhead bee. Look at the detail in the wing – and the pollen on the back. Printed this one on metallic paper and it’s a winner.
On the Caryopteris
The light on the flower is a little rough. But the bee looks great. And I like the other flower there in the background. These are just starting to bloom here and the bees are so fond of them. They’re prolific bloomers and the plants just hum at the right time of day.
Bee 067 – Huntii Bumble on a Calyopteris
Another super, late-Summer plant for pollinators. Love the color and detail on this bee’s back. Really get a good look at the distinguishing markings.
Honeybee on a Caryopteris
I shot this one at the Ogden Botanical Gardens, too. Neat tongue on this one. This particular flower is wonderful for pollinators. Bumbles, honeybees, and lots of varieties of butterflies seem to flock to it. It blooms in late summer and early fall here in the Rockies and, at least here, just teems with them in the afternoon.