The bells on Red-Vein Enkianthus bushes (Enkianthus campanulatus) are calling and falling here. As you see if you look closely, they’e calling Orange-Belted (or Tricolored) Bumblebees (Bombus ternarius) for the last round of nectar. (Image taken June 14.) The bushes have been attracting insects all spring and are shedding their bells as we speak.
Enkianthus (“enn-KEY-ann-thus”) plants are native to Asia, where they were collected by famed botanist Charles Maries and brought to England in the 19th Century. This Red-Vein variety became popular among English gardeners and was exported here soon thereafter.
The beautiful springtime cascades of nodding bells vary from lemon-white to shades of red, depending the variety of Enkianthus. The most famous attribute of this plant, however, is its ember-like leaf colors in the fall:
As for our Orange-Belted Bumblebee, it’s a common species in northeastern United States and Canada. It nests in a ground colony that lasts only one season. (Brooklin, Maine)