Subject: Re: [NAFEX] Fruits with strange(?) flowers
Date: Fri, 21 Aug 2009 09:24:54 EDT
In a message dated 8/21/2009 9:16:24 AM Eastern Daylight Time, jimfruth@charter.net writes:
The trouble with growing passion fruit, P incarnata, and other fruits
not native to this area is the strangeness of the flowers. The pollinators
here don't recognize them as sources of nectar and/or pollen.
P. incarnata isn't native to my area. Established them a few years back. Bumble bees loved them, had absolutely no pollination problems. It was fun to watch them walking under the anthers getting pollen on their backs and carrying it to the next flower.
There is more to attracting pollinators than just recognizing by sight familiar flowers.