See 'em on the Sedum

Aug 31, 2009

It's no secret that bees like sedum.

The Autumn Joy sedum (family Crassulaceae) growing in our garden is still a tight cluster of broccoli-like buds--not ready for prime time.

But don't tell the honey bees that.

Sedum is a slow bloomer, and bees poking their heads in the dusty pink buds is a common sight.

Plant sedum and they will come. (As will the butterflies, hover flies, carpenter bees and other insects.)

We are eagerly anticipating the blooms, too, in the half-acre Häagen-Dazs Honey Bee Haven, to be installed next to the Harry H. Laidlaw Jr. Honey Bee Research Facility at UC Davis. It's scheduled to open to the public on Oct. 16. Nearby will be a quarter-acre wildflower walkway called "Campus Buzzway."

The gardens will be a year-around food source for bees and provide educational experiences for visitors, who can learn about honey bees and glean ideas about bee friendly plants for their own gardens. 

Bring 'em on!
 


By Kathy Keatley Garvey
Author - Communications specialist

Attached Images:

HONEY BEE pokes around in Autumn Joy sedum, currently a tight cluster of broccoli-like buds.  (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Honey bee on sedum

SIDE VIEW of honey bee shows her examining the yet-to-bloom Autumn Joy sedum. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Side View

BOTTOMS UP--This is a typical photo of honey bees in Autumn Joy sedum, a bee friendly plant. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Bottoms Up