Rewilding My Lot

Spotted Beebalm aka Spotted Horsemint (Monarda punctata) is one of three types of seeds that I used for the front wildflower meadow’s inaugural year. The Bluebonnets and Firewheels finished a long time ago, but I have a good number of the Beebalms blooming in that location now, and also volunteer sunflowers.

I’ve seen a fair amount of insect activity on the Beebalm plants but this was the first time that I could get any decent photographs. This was an Eastern Carpenter Bee enjoying several different flowers in the meadow. Beebalm blooms are constructed with several layers along the stalk, and as the bee visited each flower it would tuck its head under the layer above it, presumably to get to the tasty nectar or pollen (they eat both). You can see that somewhat in the last photo below.