Re: HYB: pollenation, bees
- To: Multiple recipients of list <i*@rt66.com>
- Subject: Re: HYB: pollenation, bees
- From: "* A* M* <w*@Ra.MsState.Edu>
- Date: Thu, 9 Apr 1998 18:05:25 -0600 (MDT)
Several years ago when I lived in Texas on a larger spread and
grew more irises, I came home from work one afternoon during iris bloom
season to find that my neighbor had consented to let bee hives be put on
his property 'to work' my flowers. I was aghast and angered at the
neighbor for permitting such without even consulting me. He allowed that
I would get a jar or two of honey from time to time. My thoughts
immediately went to 'my hybridizing program' - that it was surely going to
be ruined by these bees on the neighbor's property. Well, that was not the
case. I had no more bee pods than usual and found that when the tagged
seed pods bloomed they were true and had not been corrupted by bees. I
agree that bees have quite a time of it attempting to pull down the
stigmatic lip in order to deposit pollen. My observations with bees and
tall bearded irises have been that the bee lands on the fall of the iris
bloom, follows the beard to the nectar, drinks it, and then backs out. It
is rare for the bee (honey or bumble) to pollinate a bearded iris bloom.
Those bee hives were on the adjacent property for at least five years
before I moved. Bumblebees abound here and I have fee unplanned pods.
Most of my unplanned pods turn out to be 'balloon' pods, and I don't know
if we have ever figured out the cause for these yet.
Walter Moores
Enid Lake, MS 7/8
