To Hug a Thistle

by Bo Mackison on 11/17/2009

Bumblebee at Work

Bumblebee at Work

Though the common thistle is often regarded as a noxious weed, especially by those who prefer pasture to prairie, not all thistles are Eurasian invasives. A large percentage are in the prairies near Madison are true Wisconsin natives. They produce good nectar and so are especially attractive to butterflies, hummingbirds, and bumblebees.

I’ve been going through my summer photos, and found this busy bee. It is spectacularly a November day outside – breezy, chilly, partly cloudy – and the bee brought back pleasant memories of the many prairie strolls I took last summer.

{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }

Gandalf November 17, 2009 at 5:09 pm

Interesting photo – which is the more prickly the bee or the thistle? I suppose they’ve signed mutual nonaggretion pact.

Wonderful detail in your image.

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bookbabie November 18, 2009 at 11:26 am

Lovely shot! We are having a mild November too, it will certainly help make this winter go a bit faster:)

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Ed Vatza November 19, 2009 at 7:33 pm

I would have responded sooner but I kept watching and waiting for him to fall. Not yet! ;-) Good work. Crisp and sharp where it needs to be. Soft where it needs to be. Voila!

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Debi November 22, 2009 at 7:18 am

Hey Bo. We just returned from a trip north, which included your lovely state of Wisconsin. I noticed massive bunches of thistles along roadways, seemingly planted in batches along with some lovely, I presume, native grasses. We visited the Lake Geneva & Williams Bay area and was totally charmed by it all! I thought of you while there!

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