Spring flower 2: crocus flowers

科 鳶尾科Iridaceae
属 番紅花Crocus
种

番紅花C. chrysanthus, C. vernus
俗名

西紅花、紅蓝花、草紅花、紅花菜、藏红花
ZBAS*: 9

Crocus flowers is common in the Midwestern United States, but it is not wild. It is cultivated in home gardens. Bees love their pollen. They also bloom in Michigan in March and April, a little later than the Aconite. North America does not have this flower and is now introduced in Europe. But China has its own species.

Saffron, which is more expensive than gold, is the pistil of another sister species, Crocus sativus. There are only two to three flowers per flower. So it’s expensive to sell by weight.

1. There are many varieties, some are white. You have to admit that even without bees, this flower is also beautiful, pure and fresh. It can bring you the first warmth in the cold air.

2. The bee apparently came to collect pollen.

3. She turned upside down, just like the pole dancing :).

4. The picture below was made on the cover of Bee Culture (American Bee Culture Magazine) in March 2013.

5. This photo was earlier and was used as the cover of the American Bee Magazine in July 2007. This photo is also the one I sold the most (usually 8X10 “, sold for 13-15 US dollars, half cheaper than the artist’s $25). This bee can’t wait, before the flowers are fully bloomed, climbed in and formed the yellow in the egg and a bee about to hatch. I call this “Hatching Out Hatching”.

6. There are also such flowers with strips.

7. Purple flowersare also exsited.

8. There are also yellow ones.

9. This should be a Halictid.

10. 11. Although we look so different, the basics of white and purple stripes are basically the same under ultraviolet light. The next two pictures on the right are taken in ultraviolet (infrared and visible light are removed). Shooting this requires a modified digital camera.

12. The photos were taken on 2014.4.11. It’s cold this year, but it doesn’t seem to be blooming yet!

13. The saffron C. sativus, which is more expensive than Cordyceps, was drinked as tea, belongs to the same genus and we usually eat its red pistils.