While taking my bike ride today I spotted this wildflower.
(http://s11.postimg.org/3qsuyvl1r/022cs.jpg) (http://postimg.org/image/3qsuyvl1r/)
It must be a late blooming plant. I don't remember seeing it before, but there is a lot of it out there.
(http://s18.postimg.org/dppl563np/027cs.jpg) (http://postimg.org/image/dppl563np/)
I spotted several large bushes. 5' to 6' tall and at least that wide. Once batch covered an area over 20' wide.
Once I knew what I was looking for I started seeing small bunches of it along the canal. It is also growing in the tree farm with the other bush that is still unknown. I hope it keeps spreading. Right now it is less than a mile..in a "bee line" from the hives.
Ageratum or floss flower. Multiple spp. (from Latin America) have been established in the south, especially along the back dunes and canals. Some are invasive.
I did a search on Floss Flower....leaves don't look right...and this stuff grows almost like a vine. I saw some climbing to the top of a palm tree. The closest I could come to it was the Blue Mistflower...but not sure. It may be in the same family as the Floss Flower and Blue Mistflower. It is spreading. Now that I know what to look for I am finding more and more. The bees are working it hard.
Carol,
Are your bees using it?
We have lots of flowering trees and bushes the bees will not touch, pink crape myrtle for one.
Jim
Never mind, just enlarged the second picture and saw your bee.
It looks just like mistflower to me, that is what I thought the instant I saw the picture. Not sure which species you have, but there several of them. Didn't know bees worked it, but good to know cause I have been planning to collect seeds this fall.
I saw a lot of Honeybees on it. I was surprised because there is so much Brazillian Pepper and acres of a bush that they are also working. This wildflower is very pretty but looks like it could get invasive...sounds just right for my place...everything around me is invasive. Brazillian Pepper, Skunkvine, Chinese Tallow, Spanish Needle...if I see Honeybees on it...I want it. Brought a couple of this Mistflower home...one looks like it might make it.