The largest of the bumblebees in the garden is the Xylocopa. In spring they are very active in pollinating blueberries, and they continue to buzz around on various flowers until autumn. Recently, on sunny days, they have been flying around the cuphea, which have many small pink flowers, and feeding on the nectar.
The cuphea (Cuphea hyssopifolia) is a shrub native to Central America, about 50 cm tall. It flowers from early summer to autumn, with fewer flowers in mid-summer. Although Cuphea is not a cold-hardy plant, it can overwinter in the ground in our garden as we rarely have frost.
庭にいるハナバチの中でも最も大きいのがクマバチです. 春はブルーベリーの受粉で大活躍してくれますし、秋までいろんな花にやってきて羽音を響かせています. 最近はお天気のいい日にピンクの小花をたくさんつけているクフェアの所で飛び回って蜜を吸っています.
このクフェア（Cuphea hyssopifolia）はメキシコハナヤナギとも呼ばれ、中米原産の低木で、高さは50センチ程度です. 初夏から秋に花をさかせますが、真夏は花は少ないです. クフェアは耐寒性は弱い植物ですが、当地は霜がおりることがほとんどないので、十分地植えで越冬できています.
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