[Steve C]

Hello all.....

I was checking on the girls just a little while ago....
They were going like gangbusters..... I followed them(beelining away from hive).....
Look what I found... I did not now it was there...

http://www.myjavaserver.com/~steveciii/images/Aster2006.jpg
http://www.myjavaserver.com/~steveciii/images/Aster2006_1.jpg

You could here nothing but buzz while I was standing there... about 7 acres of Aster....???? I think that is what this is....

[ September 23, 2006, 02:54 PM: Message edited by: Steve C ]

 

[Ron Young]

Is the pollen bright yellow, or is it a more redish orange. My bees are bringing in about four colors of pollen. Bright yellow, brownish yellow, orange (real bright), and an almost white.

I really do not know what the sources are. I think one (yellow brown) is from golden rod. The others, I do not know.

 

[Steve C]

Ron...

They are bringing in mostly bright Yellow..., but there is white also..... and I mean Tons of pollen comming in...!!!!
Man, I wish I had a pollen trap right now....!!!!!

I had to open up the doorway to the hive, just to let them in and out, because.... there was so much activity....

I like it....

 

[Hobie]

I couldn't really make out the leaves, but it looks like it could be small wood sunflower??? I was thinking tickseed, but those blossoms are about 2" across, so I doubt it unless you have giant bees...! But who really cares what it is, as long as the girls are happy. What a find!

 

[Steve C]

Hobie,

If you look in the 2nd pic you will see a bee on the flower.... They are 1" or less in Dia.
They fold up in the after noon.... I went back out there in the field and the flower had folded up....

I've been looking at what these are... I don't think it is a aster now......????? I know the bees love it though.... what ever it is....???

I saw my bee's on the flower.... but I saw a very black bee on them also.... hmmmmmm there must be some ferals in a tree near by.....
There is not another beek near me for miles....

 

[Steve C]

Here is another shot of the flowers... I have seen alot of wildflower photo's that are close... but not just like it....?


http://www.myjavaserver.com/~steveciii/images/Unknown.jpg

 

[TwT]

you know I'm glad you posted this, I have not seen any aster around here until today.. I was drinking coffee this morning and walked out close to the pond and the banks were full of the same plants and the bee's were working it hard, but it only grows close to the water, none found anywhere else... now I know we do have so aster around here, Goldenrod is not hard to find at all, have acres of it and it is just starting to bloom.....

 

[nc checkers]

Steve thats deffinitely not aster. Aster has a smaller flower with white pedals and a yellow center. Most of it here hasnt opened up yet but a saw a few plants that have just started. My bees were working goldenrod good today. sorry my cam not working.

 

[Steve C]

I am going to take a sample to the the NC ag extention office and get them to id it....

 

[Donna Marie Honeybee by the Sea]

Lovely photos Steve! I will keep my eyes open around here for something similar, look forward to a positive ID from the State. Happy Bees!

Cheers Donna

 

[Hobie]

>"If you look in the 2nd pic you will see a bee on the flower.... They are 1" or less in Dia.
They fold up in the after noon...."

(Hence my comment about 2" blossoms and "giant bees")

They are in the same family as asters (and daisies and sunflowers), but I am not familiar with them. They may not grow this far north. Please post if you get someone to ID it.

 

[Steve C]

Hay gang....

I think I found what it is.....

Hobie.... I think you were right with your first thought....

http://davesgarden.com/pf/go/48882/index.html

 

[carbide]

I realize that the aster family is a very large family of plants, but this flower sure doesn't look like any of the asters that bloom around here. Our asters (which are just now starting to bloom) are either white with a yellow center (similar to a daisy) or purple with a gold center.

But, it doesn't matter what they are if the bees love 'em.