![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4AsdhSsQzju6UgXW7Weee_2GBAyaItmBDpd4zsoarp05yPqqxJZRAVMV-IvkdTxf4VptcnZK_9K9HWyjzqw2lfiNRajhz-JPAfYRbuHmnLccPOdBzGNINbAB1ELQYw2T3qpkPw4MJkcDp/s400/rayless+sunflowerd+500.jpg) |
Rayless sunflower & native bee. |
When I replaced a 10' x 14' section of lawn with a native garden, I planted several rayless sunflowers (
Helianthus radula) as part of the mix. Months later, they are blooming much to the delight of the butterflies and native bees.
These flowers are not showy from a distance because they are missing the showy florets around the edge that look like petals. When we think of sunflowers, we expect to enjoy a big show, but the show here is more subtle and draws you in closer.
I wrote about this plant and reported on the progress on this native pollinator garden in my monthly post over on the Beautiful Native Plants blog: "
The beauty is in the eye of the beholder."*
*Just to satisfy my curiosity on this cliché, I looked up the origins of the saying. This particular phrase, "Beauty is in the eye of the Beholder," is a paraphrase of Plato's writings and the theme has been repeated in various ways by different people, including by Shakespeare, over the centuries. See
this phrase finder website for more details.