Ten Plants I Would Pollinate If I Was a Bee

1. Stanhopea oculata – These bizarre orchids from central tropical America have the most amazing fragrance and textures. S. oculata has hints of rootbeer.
2. Chocolate Penstemon or Whipple’s Penstemon – Penstemon whippleanus; the alpine penstemon has rich, almost chocolate-colored flowers.
3. Butterfly Pea – Clitoria ternatea; this incredibly fast growing member of the sweet pea family has an intoxicating scent and huge flowers. Although some people dispute whether it actually exists.
4. Chocolate Flower – Berlandiera lyrata; this plant has the most intense chocolate fragrance attracting chocolate lovers from miles away. Beautiful yellow flowers help to brighten the native landscape.
5. Passion Flower – Passiflora seemannii; fruits of this plant have been used to make aphrodisiacs for many years. The flowers are also some of the most intricate designs.
6. Fremont’s Leather Flower – Clematis freemontii; an amazing great plains native wild flower has thick beautiful leathery flowers ranging from whites, blues, and pinks.
7. Cushion Bush – Leucophyta brownii; Native to New Zealand this plant has beautiful foliage and hundreds of tiny little aster flowers.
8. Bush Morning Glory – Ipomoea leptophylla; Bush morning glory is another Great Plains native that thrives in our Colorado conditions. Free blooming throughout the summer with delicate pink flowers.
9. Twinberry Honeysuckle – Lonicera involucrata; A plant native to wet subalpine meadows in Colorado has a sweet fragrance and beautiful seed arrangement.
10. Twistedstalk – Streptopus lanceolatus var. curvipes; this member of the lily family has very delicate pendulous flowers. Plants bloom in late summer and can be found growing along streambeds in cool shady mountainous forests throughout North America.

All of these flowers are grown at Denver Botanic Gardens. Come and enjoy them for yourself and celebrate your “inner bee.”