Sourwood and Buttonbush

Sourwood

Sourwood Closeup

Buttonbush and Black Swallowtail Butterfly



There are a couple of interesting flowers in bloom right now. Actually, more than a couple, but these are the ones I got pictures of so far.

The sourwood trees have just started blooming in the last week or so. They are the second most common tree in the park (red maple is most common). The flowers are very attractive to many insects, including honeybees. This is the nectar source for sourwood honey. Sourwood usually blooms for 3-4 weeks in late June and early July. Very often, the leaves of this small tree will start turning red during the blooming season, so they give us a preview of the fall colors coming soon.

Buttonbush is a small shrub that grows "feet-wet" around the lake here at Bays Mountain. The most accessible specimen is located at the west end of the dam. The globular flower clusters are always covered in insects of all sorts. This is a great time and place to get photos of some of the myriad pollinating insects as they visit the flowers. Butterflies and bumblebees are two of the more visible species, but there are many other bees, wasps, beetles, and flies that can be seen.

As a reminder, Bays Mountain Park will be closed, for the next 3 weeks, Monday through Friday. We will be open to the public on weekends and on Independence Day (July 4). This is so we can make much-needed repairs to the entrance road. The road work should be done well before Fun Fest (July 13-21).