I watched this Alligator slowly swim along the edge of the pond hoping he would somehow line up with the reflection of the Star Hibiscus.
And he did!
He hardly made a ripple and the reflection stayed intact.
Magnolia Plantation and Gardens, Charleston, SC
June 19, 2024
I tried to wait him out for a full body shot, but a swarm of mosquitoes moved me on while the Black Swallowtail remained content inside the giant hibiscus bloom.
Red Texas Star Hibiscus is about the only plant in bloom near the iconic Long White Bridge at Magnolia Plantation right now.
The individual flowers make quite a presentation, and generally there is only one bloom at a time on a stalk.
I looked for insect occupants but didn’t find any this time out.
A wider view…
Magnolia Plantation and Gardens
July 18, 2022
Late one gloomy afternoon the sole bloom on a hibiscus plant on my patio started to open.
About 2 1/2 hours later, the sun was down but the blossom continued to unfurl.
Evidently the spider didn’t care for the changes to his hideaway and he moved on.
The next morning it was raining and even after sunrise I needed to use flash to get a good image.
Raindrops made a nice visual addition.
A few hours later the “star” was fully open.
The next morning, about 40 hours after it started to open, the bloom had completely curled up, done with its show, and promptly fell off.
