Two Bees, One Coming and The Other Going!

Venus Flytrap 'Mammoth' with a Bee trapped halfway, with it's head in.

Venus Flytrap 'Mammoth' with a Bee trapped halfway, with it's head out.

    This Venus Flytrap 'Mammoth' has caught two bees. Although the traps are pretty good size, it only trapped half of a bee at a time. The first bee was trapped with it's head in the trap and about five weeks later the second bee was trapped with it's head out of the trap.

Venus Flytrap 'Mammoth' before it trapped the Bees

    Here is a picture of Venus flytrap 'Mammoth" before it trapped the Bees.

A Bee in The Euphorbia bubleurifolia (Pine Cone Plant)

Bee in Blooms of Euphorbia bubleurifolia (Pine Cone Plant)

     Today I noticed a bee among the blooms of this Euphorbia bupleurifolia (AKA Pine Cone Plant).  This plant was a gift from Carol Knight.  Thanks again Carol, and the Bee thanks you too!  Bees come and go quickly, so I had to act fast and took these with my iPhone.  No seed will come of this as this plant is not self-pollinating and who knows how close the nearest Euphorbia bupleurifolia is from here!

Euphorbia bubleurifolia (Pine Cone Plant)

Bee in blooms of Euphorbia bubleurifolia (Pine Cone Plant)

Euphorbia bubleurifolia (Pine Cone Plant)

Lithops AKA Living Stone Plants

 

Lithops

    I enjoy the challenge of growing Lithops (AKA living stone plants) and here I some in a pot with stone just to make it confusing!  These plants are about the size of a US quarter.  If I can keep them alive more the two years I consider it a great success, and these are in their third year of my care!  

Mourning Doves Nesting

 

Mourning Doves - One Adult and two babies 

Mourning Doves can pick some odd places to build a nest and here is one of those odd places.  This hanging wrought iron plant holder is next to Mike's greenhouse and he walks by it multiple times everyday.  Since doves raise multiple broods in a season, it will be interesting to see if they use this nest again.  

Mourning Doves

Mourning Doves

Mourning Doves

Fanfare Blooms!

     

matucana madisoniorum

    I've had this Peruvian cactus Matucana Madisoniorum for a long time.  It's a slow grower but a regular bloomer.  I like the almost smooth like texture with few spines and the fanfare trumpet shaped blooms!

matucana madisoniorum

Cactus - Blooms and Spines!

     I like this overhead picture showing the contrast of the soft blooms and the sharp spines on this cactus.

Plumeria Color

     I have several Plumeria growing on the balcony and here are some pictures of the blooms.  The red one was just a cutting seven weeks ago!

Plumeria

Plumeria

Plumeria

Plumeria

Activity Around the Trigger Plant!

 

A small winged insect hovering around the bloom of Stylidium debile AKA Fragile Trigger Plant

    I was tending to some carnivorous plants when I noticed, a tiny winged insect flying around the bloom of a Stylidium debile (AKA Fragile Trigger Plant).  That's the plant in my post from April 30, 2025 (click to see post), where the reproductive column "smacks" an insect when it is triggered, transferring pollen to the insect as part of the reproduction process.  I watched as the tiny winged insect landed in the middle of the bloom and triggered the reproductive column!  It was fun to watch and it looked like the column gave the insect a 'one arm hug'! It held for a few seconds and the insect didn't seem to be bothered by the action.  Oh I wished I had my camera with a close-up lens to capture that moment.

After a minute or two, the column reset and the insect returned to enjoy the bloom, but it didn't trigger.  After some observation I learned that after resetting, there is about a 15 minute window before the column smacks again.  The picture below is with my iPhone and after the insect got "smacked".

A small winged insect on the bloom of Stylidium debile AKA Fragile Trigger Plant

Red Bug Blooms!

Sarracenia x 'Red Bug'

    Sarracenias have unusual flowers, and this S. x 'Red Bug' has four blooms in different stages.  This is a compact carnivorous plant and the leaves/pitchers are only six inches tall.  The most developed flower is just above the pitchers at eight inches tall.  Based on last years performance, it does a great job of digesting ants!

Sarracenia x 'Red Bug'

Sarracenia x 'Red Bug'

Sarracenia x 'Red Bug'

German Empress - Seven Day Bloom!

 

Disocactus phyllanthoides the nopalxochitl or German empress

    If your a regular visitor to my blog, you know that I like epiphyllum plants and Mike has several varieties through out the garden.  The blooms are in different colors and sizes, but unfortunately only last a few days.  I was very surprised when I realized that this bloom had been looking great for seven days!  This variety is called German Empress and Mike gave it to me last year.

Disocactus phyllanthoides the nopalxochitl or German empress on a bench with other cactus and succulents.

The View A Hummingbird Gets!

    Mike has a Epiphyllum German Empress growing by the side of the house that gets covered blooms.  And as you can see below it looks great!

Disocactus phyllanthoides the nopalxochitl or German empress