Something Quite Magical

There's something so magical and captivating about the metallic green sweat bee.

Shouldn't it be yellow? No.

Is it a bee? Yes.

Does it attract attention? Definitely.

We spotted this male green sweat bee, Agapostemon texanus, on what is commonly known as a Seaside daisy, Erigeron glaucus Wayne Roderick. This is a lavender-petaled flower with a yellow center.

The location: the Mostly Natives Nursery, Tomales.

Wayne Roderick (1920-2003) who developed many cultivars, served as head of the California Native Section at the UC Berkeley Botanical Garden for some 24 years. He retired as director of the East Bay Regional Parks Botanic Garden at Tilden. 

His name is legendary among horticulturists.

So is the Erigeron glaucus Wayne Roderick--especially when a metallic green sweat bee visits it.