Bumbles and buttons
Friday July 25, 2008 at 7:58 pm
As alluring as an aphrodisiac, I find myself drawn to this plant each time I walk the eastern shore of White Rock Lake south of Sunset Bay. Only within a few steps does its presence grab the senses by sight and smell, a visual and olfactory pheromone as sweet to the eyes and nose as honey is to the tongue.
All about its location near the water rests a fog of enticement that can be tasted as easily as it is smelled. The eyes simply draw one in, rest one from disregard to enjoyment, and all the while scent chains one to a position near what can only be described as a song tempting awareness with bait of beauty and beguilement.
And the bumble bees seem to think likewise.
The plant is called a buttonbush (Cephalanthus occidentalis). Its aroma strikes me as unmistakable and unavoidable.
Brownbelted bumble bees (Bombus griseocollis) surround it during this visit, although previous calls on this place seem to include other species, albeit that assumption is unverified at present.
Nevertheless, I always find this plant virtually covered with bumble bees, each flitting about from flower to flower, each busy with the accumulation of pollen.
Having savored this magnificent plant with every sense my body offers, I know why they claim it for their own, savor it in every way, cover it daily with their intent. Bewitching understates its magic.
jason
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