Look closerInsects
Goldenrod and asters: late flowers that feed bumble bees and monarchs
When: September to October
Goldenrods and asters bloom from late summer through fall in New England, and their pollen and nectar carry bumble bees and migrating monarchs when little else is flowering.
Why this time of year
By September most summer flowers have gone to seed, so the goldenrod and aster patches hold nearly all the remaining traffic: bumble bees stocking up before winter and monarchs fueling their trip south.
How to notice it
- Find a sunny patch of goldenrod or purple asters along a road edge or yard corner.
- Watch one flower cluster for a full minute and count every visitor.
- Sort visitors into rough types: fuzzy bees, flies in bee costumes, butterflies.
- Come back on a warmer afternoon and compare the traffic.
Try this with kids: Which flower color seems to attract the most visitors?
forage here just means the pollen and nectar bees gather as food
Safety
- Give working bees a hand's width of space and do not grab flower heads.
Sources
- extension.illinois.edugoldenrods and asters as scarce, critical late-season floral resources; overwintering bumble bee queens stocking up; monarchs needing fuel for migration; asters blooming late and straight into frost
- ctaudubon.orgNew England asters bloom late summer through fall; nectar feeds migrating monarchs and painted ladies while the pollen feeds many native bees; keystone plants for beneficial insects
In the guide for September, October