The Winner of the 2008 Bee and other Critter-Attracting Award

Credit: Sharon Hanna

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Here’s Eryngium amethystinum.

This plant is amazing, seeding itself strategically, also acting as a perennial, blooming all summer into fall. It is a-buzz with all types of bees. If you take a look, you’ll see many, many types of bees, syrphid flies, wasps, etc. taking a drink of the ‘interestingly scented’ nectar! Why they are attracted to it is a mystery – the flowers (actually ‘florets’ which beneficials prefer) smell like sweaty socks.