Thank you, Sharon. I, too, grow many pollinator plants. I asked because I am cursed with a Lady Banks rose which I think is sterile. It is officially in my neighbor's yard on the other side of the fence and grows mostly on my side. Every April it puts on a dramatic show but it doesn't appear to produce pollen or draw bees when my massive Arp rosemary right next to it is swarming with them. So for two weeks of beauty, it basically just takes up space and nutrients, blocks the sun and sits there. With a few exceptions, these days I tend to steer clear of purely ornamental flowering plants that don't serve a secondary purpose, e.g. edible, pollen/nectar producer, medicinal, nitrogen-fixer, etc (this is less about virtue than lack of space
).
I first met an althea in 1978 when I worked on a grounds crew of a 14-acre estate and I fell in love with it. A fully mature 8-foot althea in full bloom was slated for destruction due to construction, so my co-workers and I dug it up with a massive root ball and successfully moved it elsewhere. Would NEVER try that now
. I haven't had one for many years, but I always admire them.
