Even though these Red Camelia blooms did not have the obvious pollen as the White Camellia there was plenty of bee action.
And this bee was taking full advantage.
Lastly, a view of the full Camellia Tree, looking pretty snazzy.
Magnolia Cemetery, Charleston, SC
February 20, 2021
This Camellia variety has the type of blossom with a prominent center and on Sunday the blooms were well visited by bees.
The bees were making a haul of pollen.
This flower was on the outside of the plant, right at my eye level making for nice closeups.
The temperature had been below freezing a few nights last week and I was rather surprised to see this much bee activity.
Magnolia Cemetery, Charleston, SC
February 20, 2021
This yellow flower stalk caught my eye, as did the roving dangly legged insect.
He wasn’t too impressed and moved on.
There wasn’t much to the plant, the leaves you see here were all there were, about three or four feet (1 Meter) off the ground.
I had not noticed these flowers before and don’t know if they are typical winter bloomers or if the relatively mild winter we are in has brought them out early.
Camellia blooms reaching for the sun
I don’t know what these trees are, but spotted several in full bloom this week at Magnolia Plantation and Gardens.
A couple of the trees are quite large, this next shot was over my head.
Up close the blooms are quite delicate
and have quite a full center.
A nearly perfect Camellia Blossom, sheltered from the night’s light frost.
These white flowers were poking out of some scraggly brush on the walk around the old rice field at Magnolia Plantation and Gardens.
Perhaps a Camelia variety, they were the only flowers I saw in this mile and a quarter (2 KM) stretch on December 10.
The blooms were a little raggedy looking, but attracted a steady flow of bees and other small insects.
They were making the most of the situation on a 70 degree F (21 C) morning.
Camellias are popping out all around the South Carolina low-country. While any open bloom will be ruined by freezing temperatures they will produce all winter long.
We’ve only had a few nights with light frost and blooms that have opened in between are quite elegant. And attract whatever insects might be enjoying a sunny day, too.
This burst of yellow called out when I passed down a narrow path on a recent afternoon at Magnolia Plantation and Gardens. The plant was large, these blooms were slightly above my eye level.
Regrettably I didn’t even look for a plant tag but did get one isolated flower, looking something like a ballerina.
December 10, 2020
