Bees Love This Late Bloomer

Jan 1, 2010

The swamp sunflower that graces the entrance to the Harry H. Laidlaw Jr. Honey Bee Research Facility, University of California, Davis, does quadruple duty.

It's stunningly beautiful. It's strong and sturdy. It's a late bloomer. And the honey bees love it. 

This perennial sunflower (Helianthus angustifolius) can reach 5 to 10 feet tall. It likes its soil moist, which is why it's often planted around water gardens. 

You can almost feel the warmth of the sun backlighting the blossoms, as the nearby honey bees forage.

One drawback: it's as vigorous as bamboo and can take over a yard. But oh, how swamp sunflower can color a flower bed. 

Until the first frost. 


By Kathy Keatley Garvey
Author - Communications specialist

Attached Images:

SWAMP SUNFLOWER (Helianthus angustifolius) graces the entrance to the Harry H. Laidlaw Jr. Honey Bee Research Facility at the University of California, Davis. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Swamp Sunflower

A HONEY BEE forages a swamp sunflower blossom. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Honey Bee

BUZZING OFF, a honey bee packed with pollen leaves the swamp sunflower. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Buzzing Off