To be or not to bee plant

Rocky mountain bee plant is a widespread beautiful flower that grows from British Columbia throughout the west and southwest United States. It’s bright pink ball-like flower clusters stand out on the landscape in mid-late summer. In strong monsoon years, it’s especially prevalent in Northern Arizona this time of year, but without the monsoons this year the flowering was earlier and less vibrant up on the Colorado Plateau. You still might see their wacky green bean shaped fruits if you look closely! As you might imagine from the name, pollinators love this plant, from bees, to butterflies, to hummingbirds! Birds also eat the seeds of the plant after ripening.

Be sure to take an iNaturalist observation if you see any late flowers or seed pods of this common western plant.

Posted on September 25, 2020 06:47 PM by azscurfpea