Pics and more pics...

Like a lot of things growing in my yard, I'm not sure if this is a weed or flower. Kinda cool though.
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Missed this the first time. Looks like Cleome, or bee plant. It’s a native to North America (see it quite a bit up here) and there are lots of ornamental cultivars available commercially.
 
Like a lot of things growing in my yard, I'm not sure if this is a weed or flower. Kinda cool though.
View attachment 150336


Missed this the first time. Looks like Cleome, or bee plant. It’s a native to North America (see it quite a bit up here) and there are lots of ornamental cultivars available commercially.





Yes! The Rocky Mountain Bee Plant, Cleome serrulata, is one of my favorite hummingbird plants. It's native across the west and tends to bloom mid to late summer. It likes shallow seed planting in more sandy soils and early rains to get it started. It's an annual but the seed pods can spread the plants in subsequent wet years. In about 3 of 4 years I find them abundant in some Arizona fields south of Springerville and north of Flagstaff where I collect the seed pods by the gallon. I scatter the seeds in our high mountain and Grand Valley yards the following year where they have grown to sizeable flowering shrubs up to 8 feet tall and 5 feet in diameter. They attract thousands of hummingbirds and are part of our repertoire of pollinator flowers.



Bee-Plant& Ipomopsis.jpgBTLH at BeePlant.jpgRufous-AHY-female.jpgRocky-Mountain-Bee-Plant (2).jpg
 
Yes! The Rocky Mountain Bee Plant, Cleome serrulata, is one of my favorite hummingbird plants. It's native across the west and tends to bloom mid to late summer. It likes shallow seed planting in more sandy soils and early rains to get it started. It's an annual but the seed pods can spread the plants in subsequent wet years. In about 3 of 4 years I find them abundant in some Arizona fields south of Springerville and north of Flagstaff where I collect the seed pods by the gallon. I scatter the seeds in our high mountain and Grand Valley yards the following year where they have grown to sizeable flowering shrubs up to 8 feet tall and 5 feet in diameter. They attract thousands of hummingbirds and are part of our repertoire of pollinator flowers.

Makes sense. I scattered a packet of native wildflower seeds but had to do it earlier than I wanted. It looks like the bee plant is all that grew. Hummingbirds have been hitting it up quite a bit.
 
Makes sense. I scattered a packet of native wildflower seeds but had to do it earlier than I wanted. It looks like the bee plant is all that grew. Hummingbirds have been hitting it up quite a bit.


Good that it was successful. Some "wildflower seed" mixes contain non native undesirables and even noxious weed flowers. Look to buy seeds of cleome, penstemon, agastache, ipomopsis, and various columbines and flowering berry shrubs like honeysuckles and currants. Flowers in the yard sustain hummingbirds when feeders aren't available (and vice versa). I find that having Rocky Mountain Bee Plant effectively attracts honey bees away from the hummingbird feeders.


BCHU-HYF-Ipomopsis.jpg
 
Went for a hike in the Kenai National wildlife wilderness on this beautiful day.Got to the top. Didn't know about signing the book in the box. Next time.
 

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Good that it was successful. Some "wildflower seed" mixes contain non native undesirables and even noxious weed flowers. Look to buy seeds of cleome, penstemon, agastache, ipomopsis, and various columbines and flowering berry shrubs like honeysuckles and currants. Flowers in the yard sustain hummingbirds when feeders aren't available (and vice versa). I find that having Rocky Mountain Bee Plant effectively attracts honey bees away from the hummingbird feeders.


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That is a great photo. What shutter speed do you use to stop the wings?
 
I stretched my lens on the camera today. Lake Superior's "Granite Island". I was about 5 miles away when this photo was taken. There is a light house in the picture and a National Weather Service Station located on this island. Its hard to believe but the highest recorded wind speed on that island recorded was 143 mph! This record was set on 1/18/2003. Also in the picture are the flags for a trap fish net for Whitefish. I can also personally tell you there is some decent Lake Trout fishing near there if you have the guts and boat to do it.
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