Brush With a Bee and a Hummer

Dec 4, 2009

A brush with a honey bee...

A brush with a hummingbird...

When we visited the UC Berkeley Botanical Garden recently, honey bees were nectaring the mutton bird sedge (Carex trifeda), a New Zealand native known for its upright floral spikes that resemble golden bottle brushes.

Indeed, the mutton bird sedge reminds us of the red bottlebrush tree (Callistemon spp.), a native of nearby Australia.

Both attract their share of nectar lovers.

By Kathy Keatley Garvey
Author - Communications specialist
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Attached Images:

HONEY BEE nectaring a mutton bird sedge (Carex trifeda) at the UC Berkeley Botanical Garden. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Bee and Mutton Bird Sedge

HUMMINGBIRDS are attracted to the red bottlebrush. Like the mutton bird sedge (top photo), the floral spikes resemble bottle brushes. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Red Bottlebrush