It's like a spray of sunshine in the depths of winter.
The Bulbine frutescens, native to the desert grasslands of South Africa, is blooming well in the Häagen-Dazs Honey Bee Haven at the Harry H. Laidlaw Jr. Honey Bee Research Facility, located on Bee Biology Road at the University of California, Davis.
On any given day, even with the temperatures hovering around 50 degrees, the nearby honey bees find their way to the yellow compound flowers perched on the two-foot stalks.
The half-acre bee friendly garden, which opened to the public on Sept. 11, 2011, is gated (to keep out the rabbits), but it's open from dawn to dusk, all year around. Admission? Free!
The designers wanted something blooming year around in the garden, and that's exactly what's happening.
Attached Images:
Honey bee takes a liking to a bulbine in mid-December in the Haagen-Dazs Honey Bee Haven. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Honey bee foraging on bulbine in mid-December in the Haagen-Dazs Honey Bee Haven. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)