After the brief rain showers we had last week, the Beebrush is now in full bloom. Normally it only blooms in the spring and fall but i guess it can bloom whenever it gets enough wayer and the temperatures are right.
I call it Beebrush because the bees really love this bush when it blooms and swams its blooms but it is more commonly called whitebrush.
It is very fragrant when it blooms. We have several of these plants around the front of the house. When they bloom and you walk out the front door, it is like walking into a fragrance shop but light and pleasing to the senses.
I was ablw to catch this bumblebee on one of the plants close to the house. The field next to the house is full of these plants so for a few days there will be a light scent in the air.
I pulled this description from the web:
Whitebrush is an aromatic shrub of the Vervain family. It reaches 3 to 10 feet or 0.9 to 3 m tall. Also called Beebrush, this shrub may grow as a single plant or in large, dense thickets. The leaves are narrow, small, pointed, pale beneath, and ¼ to 1 inch long. On the flowering branches, the leaves are smaller and smooth-edged; those on other branches are larger and toothed. The tiny flowers vary from white to blue. Bloom time occurs from March to November. Whitebrush is poisonous to horses, mules, and burros but provides fair browse for wildlife. It also provides nectar, fruit, cover, and nesting sites.
The below plant I noticed when i was mowing a few months ago. At the time it was only about a foot tall. Now it is three feet tall and covered in blooms. The only bad part about the plant is that is has long stems or branches with very small green leaves so looks very thin for a bush. During summer and winter the plant looks dead because it has went dormant. I like it better when it blooms.
