It’s near the end of June, and some spring field trips have sent me far and wide across the landscape of eastern PA. There are a fair number of return visits to given places over the course of time, and I get to see what plants start growing first in spring and what wildflowers bloom at what times for given locations. However, even a casual walk or drive around the neighborhood reveals the changes occurring as we change from spring to summer; as the flowering mountain laurel winds down from its June peak, other plants, such as day lilies, are seen by the edge of roads.

Because different species of plants flower at different times, pollinating insects and birds have uninterrupted time over the summer to feed on nectar, barring severe drought conditions or other events. There are favorite species of flowers that are preferred by various species of pollinators. Ruby-throated hummingbirds, for example, are frequently found in areas of jewelweed and cardinal flower when they are in bloom.

A hummingbird does not use the pollen in flowers it visits, though its bill is transferring pollen grains from one flower to the next by foraging on nectar from multiple plants. Other pollinators, such as honeybees, do utilize pollen from flowers. Honeybees carry pollen to the hive after mixing it with nectar and enzymes and packing it into “pollen baskets” on their hind legs. This mix (called “bee bread”) is stored in the hive and used as food for developing larvae and nurse bees.