Some pollinator and native plant observations in our garden

While some of our native plants go dormant, there still is a lot of nectar and pollen to be had from other natives.

Here, an Annas hummingbird sips nectar from Island mallow Lavatera assurgentiflora flowers.

Mallows happen to be a favorite of gophers. We planted our two Island mallows in gopher cages that we constructed from galvanized steel screens. So far both mallows are doing well. They were both planted almost two years ago. One is 6 feet tall x 5 feet wide, and the other is 8 feet tall x 5 feet wide.

There were many Summer Long-horned bees active in our garden, starting in late June.

Now there are probably less than 10 of them.

This Summer Long-horned male is on a Gumweed Grindelia camporum flower.

Gumweed is a hardy plant that produces bright yellow flowers in abundance, much to the delight of our visiting bees and butterflies. It is an important late-season source of nectar and pollen.

A Field Crescent finding nectar in a California aster Symphyotrichum chilense.

Pollinators are attracted to the nectar of this late-season blooming plant.

I originally planted two seedlings almost two years ago.

Due to the plants easily spreading rhizomes, we have a full stand of these lovely plants, 4 feet tall x 4 feet wide.