Salvia microphylla - do bees visit on flowers

[Finsky]

I found in store Salvia microphyllum "hot lips". Is is beautifull aromatic plant and blooms all the time.

I ask, have you seen bees on hot lip's flowers. Flowers have  really big nectar droplet. That Salvia is native to Texas.

[Cindi]

Finsky, the name sounds intriguing and as you describe, I don't doubt for a moment that the bees would love this plant.  It is blooming now at your place, I would think it is indoors, you are in wintertime now?  Deep wintertime? Freezing deeply?

I have googled the plant, but found no matches, I am heading outside momentarily to do some fun stuff, working, my type of fun.  So I don't have time to look deeper into this species, but, keep it for the summer time plant for some bees, you will be able to tell if it is a good bee plant, but again, I can bet your bottom dollar it is.

You may hear from many other forum members that are familiar with this species.  Bees love all salvias,  know that. Have a wonderful day, wait for responses.  Great life and other wonderful wishes to go with that.  Good to see you making a post,  :) ;) yeah.  Cindi

[Finsky]

  Deep wintertime? Freezing deeply?

Yeah! Last ice bears are walking around but for global warming and they do not disturb be hives.

Our trees are just falling leaves. No frost has been here and even cucumbers are alive. Night temperature has been around 6-8C.  Days has been 12-15C.

[reinbeau]

Finsky, I've got it in my garden, I can't say that the bees think much of it, however.  It is lovely and worth growing just for the bicolored flowers.  I just ran out and took this picture, it's a bit cool, only 58°F, so all that's flying out in the front garden are bumblebees.

[Kathyp]

i have something very much like that, but a little different colour.  does it come in different varieties?  i planted a bunch of stuff in pots to see if i could identify things the bees like.  they don't seem to like that one much.

finsky, gotta love that global warming  :-)  have not seen much of it here yet.

[cindi2]

THis flower looks so much like the Impatiens Capensis, although this species of impatiens is orangeish.  Wonder if they are in the same family, totally different leaves, but similar flowers.  Have a wonderful day, beautiful life.  Cindi.  This sucks using my alternate user, I don't have access to all my unread posts as Cindi.  But gonna have to work with it until I can figure out what has gone wrong with my forum account.  Have a wonderful day, beauty of a life.

Impatiens capensis

[Finsky]

.  It is lovely and worth growing just for the bicolored flowers. 

Yes, it fine plant. It is new friend to me but I will plant them more and beside the capital city main street where I live.

[Cindi]

Finsky, you have spoken before about the plantings that you have done on your street in your main city.  Can you retrieve some pictures and show us your work?  You should be very proud of what you have done, and I bet we would all really love to see these accomplishments, yeah!!!!  Good for you!!!!!  Will you propogate this plant to plant in the city streets next year?  I know you possess these abilities, you have many years of plant propogation, I remember you speaking of these things.  Have a wonderful and beautiful day, in this wonderful place we live in.  Cindi

[reinbeau]

THis flower looks so much like the Impatiens Capensis, although this species of impatiens is orangeish.  Wonder if they are in the same family, totally different leaves, but similar flowers.  Have a wonderful day, beautiful life. 

Cindi, no, no relation.  Salvias are in the "Lamiaceae family">Lamiaceae family (includes mints, salvias, lavender, basil, oregano, marjoram (amazing, huh?) 

Impatiens are in the  Balsaminaceae family, and that family consists of mainly impatiens species.  I've got another one that comes up in the garden weedily like Jewelweed, but it's got pink and white flowers.  I've got a picture somewhere around here, I'll dig it out and post it.

[Cindi]

Ann, I grew Balsalm one year, beauty, I think it is also called Farewell to Spring.

I think that you may have another species of Impatiens Capensis growing at your house, it is called "Impatiens glandulifera",(aka Himilayan Impatiens, Policemans Helmut, and I see a couple of other names)  it is similar to capensis, only the flowers are pink and the height is higher, more like 10 to 12 feet.  I do not have this species growing here, but there was a woman across the river that was going to send me some, but I haven't heard from her since last fall.  I hope nothing has happened to her.  I googled the glandulifera and will post a pretty picture.  See if you pretty pink and white plant is the same as the glandulifera.

[reinbeau]

That looks very similar, Cindi, but I remember a different name.  It could be it, though.  Mine are more bicolored, pink and white.  They definitely don't get to be 6' tall though, you're in the climate that grows gargantuan plants!  :shock:  They've gone by now, so I can't take a photo, and I'm kicking myself because I thought so many times I should.....oh well, next year, because they'll definitely be back! 

Edited to add:  Found one!  This little guy is peeking out of dying hosta foliage. 

[Zoot]

Finsky,

A neighbor of mine planted some of this stuff and it is a beautiful plant. Curious to see how it winters here. The bumblebees forage on it heavily just as they do our abundant lavender varieties but, alas, no honeybees.

[reinbeau]

Zoot, they don't overwinter, they're annuals.  There will be plenty of them next year, from overwintering seeds.  I have to say I haven't seen many girls on them, bumbles, as you say, but they brighten up shady spots so I let them come up here and there.  You do have to ruthlessly thin them, however, they can get a bit virulent!

[Zoot]

Yes, you are correct - I remember our neighbor saying she hoped for an abundant presence next year from reseeding. They are beautiful plants. I am curious as to why the honeybees seem to aviod most of this family. The nectar seems abundant as Finsky observed.

[reinbeau]

They definitely don't ignore Jewelweed, if you look closely at your hive when it's in bloom you'll see bees with white stripes down their backs - a dead giveaway that they've been tippling in the Jewelweed again  :evil:

[johnnybigfish]

Hi yall!
Not to rain on anybodys parade....just recently I read about how bees cant see the color red...Bees supposedly prefer white and lite colored flowers. Sorry, I cant remember where I read this, but I did. I was dissappointed 'cuz I figured that red would be a bees favorite color as it is mine also. This spring I planted nothing but red flowers...The bees didnt come to them, they went to the backberries mostly..then pepper plants and tomatoes...These all have white or yellow flowers...Well They DO go all out of sight getting only God knows what...Oh well...thats all I know about this.
I have seen pics of this Salvia plant before though when I was looking for salvia divinorum...I cant swear to it but After seeing your pic of your salvia I may have had it on my land.
Anyways.....
your friend,
john

[reinbeau]

John, it has nothing to do with the color red specifically, but as you can see, these are bicolored white and red flowers (the original plant of this thread, Salvia microphylla 'Hot Lips').  I've seen plenty of bees on red zinnias, they don't 'see' color so much as they see a good food source.  Some white flowers are never visited, either. 

Generally speaking I go by my own observations and let 'experts' think that's what they are  :evil:

[johnnybigfish]

Yeh. I suppose I should remember the same as you about the "experts" as I'm stuffing my head with all kinds of info on bees, and beeing new to this(bees) its hard to discern whats "gospel" and whats bogus. Well, anyways Rein, thanks for the reminder.
your friend,
john