Sedum and the Bees

by Jacki
(Grand Forks, B.C. Canada)

We could learn something from our little friends the bees. I am astonished at the respect they have for each other - even in the frenzy of gleaning the last bit of nectar and pollen from my Sedum bed along the driveway they are without any hint of aggression. They are amazingly tolerant of bees from other hives - even other species.

From around the middle of July when the flowers finally started to open, to well after the middle of August, the Sedum album, Sedum spurium varieties such as John Creech, Dragons Blood, album Superbum and all the others open in sequence, magnetically attracting over 15 types of bees and many butterflies.

Each flower head with its dozens of individual blooms can be home to three bees at once, all different, all from hives in the area that must be within a few kilometers, yet all of them respectfully accommodate the others. If it seems that there are too many crowded onto one flower some will hop off to another.

If the evening turns cool, the drowsy and satiated bumble bees will have a sleep over, clinging to the bottom of the flower cluster until the warmth of the sun the next day gets their juices flowing again.