Remember, Rest
Species: Hunt’s Bumblebee (Bombus huntii) on Gunnison’s Mariposa Lily (Calochortus gunnisonii)
Habitat: From low foothills to high mountain in meadows
Location: Jemez Mountains, New Mexico
Public Land: Santa Fe National Forest
Description: A Hunt’s Bumblebee sleeps in a Gunnison’s Mariposa Lily to rest and recharge after a long day of pollinating. While some bees return to a hive, many wild bees sleep in flowers. The bee’s drooping antennae and resting wings— and the fact that it didn’t stir while I took this picture— indicate deep sleep.
In the Four Corners area this wildflower is usually white, but in the Jemez Mountain it is a lavender to deep purple. These plants have an underground tuber. Each year they will grow a leaf but won’t flower until the conditions are right. In the summer of 2024 with plentiful rain, thousands of these flowers bloomed in Valles Caldera and the northern area of the Jemez Mountains. Never in my life had I seen so many. Others reported it hadn’t happened for over a decade. The bees seemed very happy that year in fields with masses of blooming purple lilies.
Fine art print on acid free, 100% cotton, bright or warm white, textured surface, archival quality paper. For more about papers I use click here.
Species: Hunt’s Bumblebee (Bombus huntii) on Gunnison’s Mariposa Lily (Calochortus gunnisonii)
Habitat: From low foothills to high mountain in meadows
Location: Jemez Mountains, New Mexico
Public Land: Santa Fe National Forest
Description: A Hunt’s Bumblebee sleeps in a Gunnison’s Mariposa Lily to rest and recharge after a long day of pollinating. While some bees return to a hive, many wild bees sleep in flowers. The bee’s drooping antennae and resting wings— and the fact that it didn’t stir while I took this picture— indicate deep sleep.
In the Four Corners area this wildflower is usually white, but in the Jemez Mountain it is a lavender to deep purple. These plants have an underground tuber. Each year they will grow a leaf but won’t flower until the conditions are right. In the summer of 2024 with plentiful rain, thousands of these flowers bloomed in Valles Caldera and the northern area of the Jemez Mountains. Never in my life had I seen so many. Others reported it hadn’t happened for over a decade. The bees seemed very happy that year in fields with masses of blooming purple lilies.
Fine art print on acid free, 100% cotton, bright or warm white, textured surface, archival quality paper. For more about papers I use click here.
Species: Hunt’s Bumblebee (Bombus huntii) on Gunnison’s Mariposa Lily (Calochortus gunnisonii)
Habitat: From low foothills to high mountain in meadows
Location: Jemez Mountains, New Mexico
Public Land: Santa Fe National Forest
Description: A Hunt’s Bumblebee sleeps in a Gunnison’s Mariposa Lily to rest and recharge after a long day of pollinating. While some bees return to a hive, many wild bees sleep in flowers. The bee’s drooping antennae and resting wings— and the fact that it didn’t stir while I took this picture— indicate deep sleep.
In the Four Corners area this wildflower is usually white, but in the Jemez Mountain it is a lavender to deep purple. These plants have an underground tuber. Each year they will grow a leaf but won’t flower until the conditions are right. In the summer of 2024 with plentiful rain, thousands of these flowers bloomed in Valles Caldera and the northern area of the Jemez Mountains. Never in my life had I seen so many. Others reported it hadn’t happened for over a decade. The bees seemed very happy that year in fields with masses of blooming purple lilies.
Fine art print on acid free, 100% cotton, bright or warm white, textured surface, archival quality paper. For more about papers I use click here.