I’ve long heard that sedum plants attract honey bees and other pollinators in a big way, so when I noticed an Autumn Joy sedum, a variant of Hylotelephium telephium, growing beside my new house, I thought I’d witness something great and wonderful. But so far it’s been underwhelming. Bumblebees seem to love it, butterflies, wasps, but not many honey bees.
Honey bee on Autumn Joy in Flatrock, NL (Sept. 20, 2015.)
I’d classify Autumn Joy as a late-season nectar source for honey bees in my area, coming to bloom even later than Japanese Knotweed, which is possibly the very last source of nectar and pollen before the onslaught of winter.
Cell phone photo of Autumn Joy in Flatrock, Newfoundland (Sept. 20, 2015.)
I have several Autumn Joy sedums all planted in a row by my front doors, and when it blooms, it’s constantly covered with all types of bees — including honeybees. Actually, the honeybees start nosing around while the flower are still buds.
There must be something they like better in your area. You never can tell with bees.
The Autumn Joy only recently came into bloom and the weather has been cold and rainy. It’s possibly the bees haven’t discovered it yet, even though it’s right next to some Honey Clover that they’ve been devouring. We’ll see what happens when or if the weather improves. There’s also an abundance of Goldenrod around. They might just be in Goldenrod mode. I’ll update with new photos if it changes.
I have a number of these plants at my country place and this year and I have to say I am amazed with how many bumble bees are constantly interested in it, I have counted as many as 20 at one time.