September 4

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Taken just before we went to IKEA for the cabinets.

Jewelweed.

I deduce (from watching smallish bumblebees jam themselves in) that the pollinator enticement is at the very back. The business parts of the flower are in the front, so that the fuzz on the backs of the bumbles rubs there as they squeeze alllll the way back in for ... whatever is back there.





I believe the actual business parts of the flower are the palest part, tucked under the top petal.





This is the same pic I showed you last week -- you can really see how the flower bits are positioned for best bee-back coverage.

Looking at this, I wonder if there is nectar in the very very end of that long bit curved back under the flower. So the bees have to get all the way in, then work at accessing the good stuff around a 180 degree curve..........



It never occurred to me before just this minute to wonder if significant pollinators are always (mostly?) fuzzy sorts of critters.... Makes sense that they would be. They would surely carry more pollen on a fuzzy back than on a shiny one. Interesting to think about the plants and critters working together over the millenia, designing each other for best rewards for best pollination....



Boxwood fruit. This will be a verrrrry dark purple, later.



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