July Blooms in my Georgia Garden: Clethra, Summersweet, Sweet Pepper Bush

Clethra alnifolia 'Ruby Spice'

Blooming in the heat of summer with temperatures hovering near 100 degrees is Clethra alnifolia. Also known as Sweet Pepper Bush or Summersweet, Clethra attracts many pollinators with its honeyscented blooms of pink or white. Clethra is a deciduous blooming shrub native to the Eastern United States. I'm a little late with this post, since our Clethras all bloomed earlier in July and have now finished blooming.

Because I love all things pink, my favorite Clethra is Ruby Spice. Vivid pink bloom spikes adorn the tips of almost every stem in late July or August. Ruby Spice Clethra is a tall shrub, reaching up to 8 feet tall at maturity.

Clethra 'Hummingbird'

If you prefer white blooms, Clethra Hummingbird is a popular choice a lake at Callaway Gardens. 

Hummingbird Clethra encircles the edge of Hummingbird Lake behind the Discovery Center. This shrub has pure white bottlebrush blooms spikes about 3 inches long. The fragrant blooms which smell kind of spicy attract pollinators from a great distance.

Another white bloomer is Clethra Sixteen Candles, selected and named by horticulturist Michael Dirr from the University of Georgia. This Clethra is so named because when in bloom its upright flowers resemble candles on a birthday cake. These blooms are up to 6 inches long! Due to its compact habit, this one grows well in containers so it would be great on a patio or sunny porch where the blooms and their fragrance could be better enjoyed.

Clethra 'Sixteen Candles'

No matter the flower color, butterflies and bumble bees love the nectar produced by Clethra blooms. I'm watching to see if our honeybees visit the blooms too.

Clethra needs regular water to grow well. In its natural environment it is found growing on the banks of a creek or lake. Full sun makes the plant bloom prolificly in the latter part of summer. You'll want to be able to reach the plants with a hose when summer drought arrives. 

Clethra can be grown literally all over the United States, since it is hardy in USDA Zones 4 - 9.

June Blooms in my Georgia Garden: Sourwood Tree

One of my favorite native trees is the Sourwood. This tree is lovely in all seasons.

In Spring, new growth is reddish green and very attractive.

Sourwood is sometimes called Lily of the Valley Tree, because in early Summer it is adorned with blooms that resemble Lily of the Valley. These fragrant flower clusters attract pollinators of all kinds.

In late Summer, the bloom spikes develop into decorative seed clusters that remain on the tree usually throughout the winter. In fact, our tree still holds the seed clusters from last year right amidst the flowers.

Fall color is spectacular. Leaves begin to change early, often in August, and by the time cold weather arrives, Sourwood Trees red, burgundy, and purple leaves seem to glow in the sunlight.

Sourwood Tree, Oxydendrum arboretum, is native to the United States. As the common name suggests, leaves have a sour taste.

Wildlife value: honeybees and other pollinators love it. The flowers are an important source of nectar for all pollinators. You've probably seen or even tasted Sourwood Honey.

Sourwood is easy to grow in full sun or part shade whether soil is good or poor. Sourwood even tolerates drought once it is established. If I had to choose the perfect spot for Sourwood, it would be at the edge of a woodland where it receives morning sun and afternoon shade.

Bumble Bees are in Trouble Too!

We often hear about the decline of the honeybee due to overuse of pesticides, herbicides, loss of habitat, and Colony Collapse Disorder (a general term used to express the decline of the honeybee population due to bees leaving the hive to die for reasons we do not know.) But did you know our native bumblebees are in trouble too? Honeybees are not the only pollinator in trouble. Our native bumblebees have faced a sharp decline all across the United States. The loss of bumblebees would severely affect our nation's ecosystem, not to mention our farming system and our food supply.

Bumblebees love our Native Buttonbush,
Cephalanthus occidentalis

As a child I would sit on the back door step and watch bumblebees for an hour or more. The beautiful buzzing little bees just fascinated me. I think the reason there were so many bees there is because it was the only spot in the yard where lots of clover and other wildflowers grew. The bees loved it, and so did I. I enjoyed watching them, but I did not know then how important they are.

Bumblebees are more important to our environment than the non-native honeybees. Bumblebees pollinate native plants and wildflowers that produce seeds for birds and other wildlife. Bumblebees are the most important pollinators for many of the crops we depend on like blueberries and tomatoes. I just learned that farmers actually depend on bumblebees to pollinate crops grown in a greenhouse like peppers, strawberries, and tomatoes. Wow! That is fascinating.

According to the Xerces Society, several species of the North American Bumblebee are on the verge of extinction. The main cause of bumblebee decline is the overuse of pesticides which kill not only the bad insects but also pollinators like the bumblebee.

You might be thinking, "Yes, but what can I do about it?"

Well, first of all, don't use pesticides. Let nature take its course. If you don't spray pesticides on your grass, flowering plants, and shrubs, birds and good bugs like Lady Bugs will take care of the problem naturally.

Secondly, plant flowers. Any kind of flowers. Bumblebees are not picky--they will visit any and every flower available to them. So just plant what you like. Try to have flowers available for them in every season. Here in the mild climate of Georgia, bumblebees are out from late winter to late fall. I've even seen them buzzing around on a warm day in January when our Mahonia was in full bloom.

There might not be much you can do about some some problems occurring in our environment, but this is one area where your actions can definitely make an impact.

If you are interested in trying to identify which kind of bumblebee you are seeing in your garden, take a look at BumbleBee.Org.