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01-08-2003, 11:23 PM

(flicker) wrote in message ...
From: tyratree

Does anyone here grow Monarda 'Jacob Cline'? This is the only variety I've
ever experienced that attracts absolutely NO bees or butterflies....never in
the three years I've grown it.

Interesting. I used to grow a red-flowered monarda right alongside one of the
purple ones. The purple one was overrun with bumblebees, the red one, just as
you describe, untouched. I don't recall the flower size to be different on the
two plants. I assume it was a color issue; bumblebees always seemed more
attracted to the purples in my garden.

bianca
zone 6-7 Long Island

Bees vision extends up into the ultraviolet spectrum but on the low
end it stops short and they percieve no difference between red and
black.
Many flowers reflect interesting patterns that we cannot percieve in
the UV spectrum and bees see these well.
On a cloudy day bees fix the angle of the sun by the polarization of
UV light filtering through the clouds.
Of course they have had many more millions of years to evolve than us
and can do more with less