Last year during mid-August, I came across an amazing sight, a collection of butterflies feasting on the nectar of Joe Pye weed (Eupatorium purpureum). There were more butterflies in this one location than I have ever observed. The attraction was a combination of four things: mid-day sunlight, a small stream water source and the overlapping, synchronized timing of the flowering of the Joe Pye weed and emergence of adult butterflies from their chrysalises.
In mid-August of 2022, there was an explosion of wildflowers growing on the Greenway path, primarily goldenrod, coreopsis and Joe Pye weed. This display of wildflowers, in turn, attracted an array of pollinators, making this neighborhood walk unlike any other previous walks! I was amazed by the number of butterflies, bees, and other pollinators that were hovering around new wildflowers blooming on the Greenway path under the powerline.
Plants that grow under this powerline are tenacious! Every several years, this area is disturbed by either our local electrical utility or by our subdivision. This year, the ground was disturbed by the construction of two new bridges over a stream that crosses the Greenway path in two locations, and the previous year, the local electrical utility used heavy equipment to aggressively cut any trees and bushes that might interfere with the powerlines. With all this disturbance, you would think that would be little chance for wildflowers to grow and pollinators to survive. What a pleasant surprise to see that the conditions are perfect for wildflowers to grow and for pollinators to find their alluring scent and nectar.
On Friday, Aug. 18, 2023, I participated in the Great Southeast Pollinator Census with a friend, and this is what we observed. I focused on a goldenrod flower and my friend on a Joe Pye weed. We selected this site because there are…
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