View allAll Photos Tagged Balm
I understand that Hummingbirds love these flowers. We saw them growing profusely along the gravel roads in West Virginia.
A bright purple swath of Bee Balm (Monarda fistulosa) comes into its own in the foothills of the Southern Rockies near Boulder, Colorado. The common name is particularly apt for this plant, as Bumblebees and other wild bees are constantly attending to its pollinating needs. Bee Balm makes similar terpene compounds in its leaves as Thyme plants of the Old World, and chemical analysis of their tissues has revealed that populations of Bee Balm often have distinct terpene signatures. However, it is not at all clear to me just how those terpene signatures influence the relationship between bees and plants.
Technical notes: This is a focus stack of four images, taken hand-held.
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Melissa officinalis
Mint Family
One of those plants that make me look like I'm picking my nose. Crushing the leaves releases a very pleasant lemon aroma.
A small Rufous hummingbird doing a bit of housekeeping by dead-heading the bee balm. In this image, the bloom became beak balm as it was a bit sticky.
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"Bee balm is considered a good plant to grow with tomatoes, ostensibly improving both health and flavor. It also is a good companion plant in general, attracting pollinators and some predatory/parasitic insects that hunt garden pests...The Blackfoot Indians recognized the strong antiseptic action of these plants, and used poultices of the plant for skin infections and minor wounds. A tea made from the plant was also used to treat mouth and throat infections caused by dental caries and gingivitis. Bee balm is the natural source of the antiseptic Thymol, the primary active ingredient in modern commercial mouthwash formulas. The Winnebago used a tea made from bee balm as a general stimulant. Bee balm was also used as a carminative herb by Native Americans to treat excessive flatulence. [3][4] An infusion of crushed Monarda leaves in boiling water has been used to treat headaches and fevers" -- wikipedia --- HDR from a single raw
For the record, the bees completely ignored this stuff. They were all too busy trying to weigh the Hyssop down. It didn't work, that stuff is still blooming and still covered with bees....
Lensbaby Scout with the Edge 80 optic at f4 and a +4 macro filter on a Canon EOS 5D MarkII.
It's a been a busy week and will continue for the next couple of days and into next week. I may not have time to answer or acknowledge your visit here to my page or any comments you leave but rest assured I will try to get back as quick as I can.
Monarda citriadora: among other common names are Lemon mint, wild bergamot, purple horse mint, plains horse mint. Whatever someone wants to call it, this is a lovely wildflower that grows in abundance on our property during late spring and early summer months. Pretty purple or sometimes pale pink flowers grow in stacks up a tall stem. Bees and other pollinators are highly attracted. I have read that the plants are edible, often used for tea and have some medicinal value. I just like them for the beauty.
Montell, Uvalde County, Texas in May 2021
the bee balm has begun to blossom in the garden and the "little birds" (ruby-throat hummingbirds) have noticed.
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"Cold Duck" (Kalte Ente) is the name of a wine-based bottled drink of German origin. *
At least two of these three ducks do indeed look really cold. Nonetheless, an increasing number of ducks now stay here in our area in winter rather than migrating south.
They are riding out turbulent winter flooding on the Swiss stretch of the ordinarily placid River Wiese. It is a Swiss tributary of the Rhine.
* COLD DUCK (Kalte Ente):
Cold Duck wine-based bottled drinks are sold in the USA and other places, but the origin is German.
It is a fun story.
From:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cold_Duck
"The recipe was based on a German legend involving Prince Clemens Wenceslaus of Saxony ordering the mixing of all the dregs of unfinished wine bottles with Champagne. The wine produced was given the name Kaltes Ende ("cold end" in German), until it was altered to the similar-sounding term Kalte Ente meaning "cold duck".[1] The exact recipe now varieswinter, but the original combined one part of Mosel wine, one part Rhine wine with one part of Champagne, seasoned with lemons and balm mint."
Location: River Wiese, Basel City BS Switzerland.
In my album: Dan's Birds.
From last Saturday's dedicated Bee Balm - hummingbird session.
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