Have you seen this as you’re driving along? Fallen petals after a rainstorm this late in April are a sign of the Black Locust trees blooming. They tend to sprout along woods edges, so their white blossoms are visible now and last nearly 3 weeks into May–and that is great for bees! This is the […]
I love nature and can’t imagine living apart from it. I know people do and the idea saddens me. I’d rather not face what’s happening to our earth, but we all need to, and make any and every change we are capable of making. Before kids, I worked as a naturalist doing environmental education programs […]
In the metro Washington, D.C. area, cherry blossom season is just about over, and I can’t let it pass without noting them! Cherry trees are pollinated strictly by bees and are an important spring nectar source. Folks plant a whole variety of ornamental species that are beautiful. The simpler flowers are best for bees. We […]
If you live in the mid-atlantic region, Redbud, Cercis canadensis, is hitting its peak bloom. And just in time, because the red maple blooms are done and the bees are looking for their next big source of nectar and pollen to build up their colonies again. This native tree does well in partial shade, growing to 30 feet high and […]
Have you got a lot of room? The catalpa trees–there are both a Northern and a Southern Catalpa–are native to North America and grow 40 to 60 feet tall. Not as big as some trees, but the large heart-shaped leaves and the clumps of large and showy flowers make the tree seem huge. The inch-wide […]
I blog here, but I also blog on The Squirrel Nutwork. (No, this isn’t an April Fool’s joke.) There, four squirrels share their outdoor nature finds from their suburban Washington, D.C. neighborhood. They take an annual winter hiatus, but resume blogging each year by joining the Blogging from A to Z Challenge, which follows the […]
Just a quick post to introduce you to another great plant for bees! Sorry it’s not a tree, but I couldn’t resist when I found honeybees on my neighbor’s Leatherleaf Mahonia, Mahonia japonica, in early March. This tough shrub for partial shade blooms in early spring and the blossoms will not freeze if temperatures reach […]
This is one of my favorite trees (or a large shrub) because it is native and blooms at whacky times of the year. Oh, and its flowers look like spiders! Depending on the species, witch hazel blooms either before winter or after. The native species, Hamamelis virginiana, is a late fall bloomer for bees to […]
I’m starting this set of brief posts between now and the release of my newest YA, Guardian of the Pines. Why? Because my hero, Cor, loves trees and also is a beekeeper. Red Maple trees have begun to bloom in my area, the suburbs of Washington, D.C. They aren’t a tree that folks go out […]