Hairy Phlox with Carpenter Bee

Spring wildflowers are finally here after the long winter. The photograph above shows Hairy Phlox (Phlox amoena) with a Carpenter Bee (Xylocopa sp.) foraging for nectar or pollen. Phlox is derived from the Greek for “flame”, and the species name is derived from the Latin “amoen”, which means pleasant or charming. There are about 67 species of Phlox, all are North American except for one Siberian species.