Eager for Escallonia

Three little words can help us determine what to plant in a bee friendly garden: "attractive to bees."

Escallonia, a fast-growing evergreen shrub often planted as a hedge or screen, is indeed attractive to bees. Bees work the blossoms like there's no tomorrow--and no colony collapse disorder.

Escallonia's delicate pink blossoms remind me of apple blossoms, and indeed, there's a cultivar named just that: Escallonia Apple Blossom (E. xlangleyensis).

A native of South America (probably Chile), the plant is drought-resistant, hardy, fragrant and basically pest-free.

Butterflies and hummingbirds join bees in finding it attractive.

So, perhaps Escallonia should be referred to as "attractive to bees, butterflies, hummingbirds and people-looking-for-what-to-plant-in-bee-friendly-gardens."