O Blogger! I was so pleased to be able to comment via my iPad but failed to notice that somemcomments were being posted anonymously. And then there are the blogs that don't permit anonymous comments; they require me to log in, but then I can't.
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Joe Pye (Eutrochium purpureum) is a common and largely unloved weed. "It is native to eastern and central North America, from Ontario east to New Hampshire and south as far as Florida, Louisiana, and Oklahoma." (Wikipedia)
Lucy Maud Montgomery seemed to to dislike Joe Pye very much in Anne of Green Gables, for she called the nasty, mean girl Josie Pye. I like Joe well enough in the wild even though I didn't care for Josie in the book(s). However, as much as I like the plant in nature, I am amazed by the Joe Pye plant in our backyard.
Several years ago, we purchased a cultivar, and I am flabbergasted by it every year, for it grows from nothing to close to 10' tall out back. It’s size suits our backyard, which does not get a ton of tender loving care these days.
Our fence is ~8' tall, and look how Joe rises above it.
We are a little concerned, however, for once it blooms, I am used to seeing bees working it diligently. This year there is nothing. In fact, I am not seeing bees out front either in the echinacea, which they usually like. Fingers crossed: maybe the bees will come yet.
A closer look. Maybe I should take a proper macro and not just a phone shot, but I probably won't.
While this post is primarily about Joe Pye, I must say in passing that we also have flower pots in the backyard, Since it is hot back there with little shade, Sue has just stuck a few decorations in the pots this year. However, one pot has a beautiful volunteer petunia from last year's planting.
24 comments:
We've had plenty of bees, all kinds, but few butterflies this year. I think maybe the long cold spring did it.
I read somewhere that last winter's death loss among bee colonies was around 48%, near a record high. Perhaps that explains your lack of bees this year.
Gosh I hope your bees show up soon! And that is sure a pretty volunteer petunia.
Where the heck are all the bees? Perhaps you should start your own hive!
It is fabulous! I used to have several at the Lodge around the raingarden/pond we had. I should think about having one here but do't know where I'd put it.
Love that Joe Pye! I noticed that it started blooming here much earlier than usual. It is one of my favorite wildflowers.
Worrisome about the bees. We have seen many bumblebees, and quite a few honeybees, although not as many as last year. Yellow jackets, however, are abundant!
What a wonderful plant, your Joe Pye is. I remember seeing some wild ones by the road, and a friend pointed out what they were. It's big enough that I remembered it's name.
Fabulous Joe Pye is FABULOUS! I'm not seeing bees, either, but then I haven't been outside much this summer.
Joe Pye is great for pollination. We see a lot of bees on ours!
Joe Pye is in bloom along the roads and trailways here too. Love that wildflower. LM was wrong…not something an islander ever says! lol.
I have had some bees around but not as many as I usually have at all. I have let some basil and oregano go to flower since the bees like their blooms.
I don't think I know that Joe Pye so will have to look it up.
You are really great gardeners. The pot plants look healthy green and colourfu;
That anonymous stuff happened to me all the time. I am not observant and regularly missed that I had suddenly become anonymous.
Volunteers, plants this is, are interesting. Squirrels do a lot of replanting.
I love Joe Pye. It's blooming on our roadsides now. I hadn't made the connection with LM Montgomery's Josie Pye--interesting!
I've never heard of Joe Pye; it's huge! (and lovely) I've been needing to log in to blogs that my computer used to remember. Very odd. Petunias love the heat. Mine are thriving!
I hope the bees appear before winter.
Joe Pye can reach an impressive height. It grows around the edges of our clearing, and around the pond. Very odd and scary, about the lack of pollinators.
Your Joe Pye is definitely fabulous - a very full clump. And your white volunteer petunias a so nice. Right now the bees are on our Rose of Sharon, but definitely not as many as years passed. :(
I've never seen anyone grow Joe Pye on purpose, but you know what? I like it! We have a neighbor at the new house who is quite boundary conscious. He keeps marking the boundary line. We've been trying to figure out how we will let him know that we see his markers and will respect them. Joe Pye might be a quick way to accomplish that in a nonconfrontational, friendly way.
I planted a Joe Pye weed this year. It is thriving. Our front garden is very hot, and I killed another one by not watering. I fear drought!
That Joe Pye rocks!
Funny you brought up Joe Pye Weed. While biking I came across oodles and oodles of it. I had to stop and take a shot with the cell phone and use Google Lens to ID it.
:)
That's the source of her character name?
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