Wow Jack those are awesome pictures!!

Robert, thank you for another picture of my heartthrob. I think he will make a fine screen saver.

wildflowers said: :
Robert, thank you for another picture of my heartthrob. I think he will make a fine screen saver.

Christine,
I believe that this morning I got a couple more images of your heartthrob.

Yesterday afternoon I returned to the north fence to check on any flying critter activity. Nothing was happening at the sedum or the sage, but there was at the UFO (Unidentified Flowering Object).
First up was a tiny neon green wasp:


Then another tiny wasp happened upon the UFO:

Next in the parade was a small bumblebee (I don't believe that it was Christine's heartthrob ) :
Proboscis fans please note
The session wrapped up with some images of a neon green wasp who looked like it had been rolling in a pile of UFO pollen:

Jack, I can't believe I'm saying this about a fly's butt, but that blue bottomed bee is pretty awesome!

Cheryl, I already hinted that I'm staying in the state of Florida! Oh, and I can't remember which thread I mentioned it on, but I did say I would be staying on this coast because they were still worried about the hurricane or its after effects.

Dang, Robert! All of your photos remind me just how much work our pollinators do and how efficient they are in their job!

The cape honeysuckle is blooming, and I noticed something small....really small...



which turned out to be a tiny bee.





And I had a surprise waiting in the greenhouse when I reached for the Osmocote:



A bird had used the bag to build a nest. There are probably 300 trees on the property...but she chose this spot. And I didn't post this in the Bird Thread because, well, there is no bird.

And one more garden guest:

I have to share that on the bird forum, though. They'll find that hilarious! Beautiful pictures of that honeysuckle, too! I hope you've added to the plant database!

My heartthrob has amazing finesse!

More awesome photos, Robert! Have you tried to ID your UFO?

Ooo love the cape honeysuckle and that tiny bee!

and the damselfly of course!

Nice surprise too!

wildflowers said:My heartthrob has amazing finesse!
Have you tried to ID your UFO?

As far as the ID of UFO, I am in my normal state, clueless!
It just popped up next to the house.
I was hoping that one of you folks would enlighten me as to what it is.
Below is a bumble bee hugging UFO flowers.

Perhaps a white mist flower? They tend to self-seed freely.

GrammaChar said:Perhaps a white mist flower? They tend to self-seed freely.

I did some internet searches (including NGA) for white mist flower and Ageratina havanensis (botanical name obtained from a couple of websites), reviewed my images and went out with a flashlight and looked at the plant. Flowers and leaves look right, and I did spook a moth on the plant, which it is supposed to attract at night. And the bloom period is said to be autumn. If it is white mist, it is also known as Havana Snakeroot and shrubby boneset.
Since I'm in a Zone 6b, it would seem to be a bit north of its range. However, it is next to the house (which has a heated basement), in a sheltered location.
If it is white mist, do I have to start calling it Misty instead of UFO?

Assuming it's a Ageratina havanensis, you should feel very lucky! Mine are covered with buds right now and will soon burst into bloom - just in time for the fall migration of butterflies. These shrubs, along with purple eupatorium odorata (which has been given a new name that I can't remember), are absolute magnets to butterflies headed south. The Butterfly Festival in Mission Texas reports that more than two dozen butterflies have been recorded using this plant.
As your wonderful photos prove, it's also a great source of nectar for bees.

Don't you just hate when attractive, pollinator-friendly plants just pop up in your garden?

mellielong said:Don't you just hate when attractive, pollinator-friendly plants just pop up in your garden?

Well, it would be nice if they came with an ID card!

Yeah, I decided if I had to pick a superpower, I would need to be able to talk to the plants and the animals. I envision myself negotiating peace treaties between caterpillars and their host plants.

Enjoy your "Misty". It will prove to be a blessing.

I think what Robert has there (UFO) is White Snakeroot, aka Eupatorium rugosum aka Ageratina altissima

marsrover said:
Well, it would be nice if they came with an ID card!

Marsrover, it sure does look like white mistflower, particularly Ageratina havanensis. Like Char said, you are very lucky to have it growing! Oh, and thank you for highlighting my type-o's in both of the quotes. I've made the corrections.

Here's a link I found with pics of A. havanensis.
http://www.backyardnature.net/...

Oh and just found this article by Frostweed. http://garden.org/ideas/view/f...