The Hawthorn tree, Crataegus sp. in my neighborhood is covered in flowers right now… and covered in bees–look close to see one flying! I saw all sizes, from very tiny 1/4 inch ones to bumblebees. They are high up in the branches and, unfortunately, their hum can only be heard during the brief lags in passing […]
Whatever I was going to write about flew out the window when I discovered mason bees are using our new house. Honestly, I never expected this to work so quickly. First, the photos I managed to take! These bees know exactly where they are going. They land in a tube and quickly disappear. They may […]
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 […]
It’s #BookQW and Cor learns an ‘important’ lesson. More of the excerpt from Chapter 14: “I’m not leaving.” Cor pounded a fist. “This is the most amazing forest I’ve been to. You promised you’d get me an intern—apprenticeship here.” He stepped closer, trying despite his shorter height to glare down at Fern. “Have you tried? […]
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 […]
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 […]