Honey bee on hosta bloom

Hostas bloom late in the summer, well after most of the yard’s other flowers have finished, which makes them a magnet for whatever bees are still working. This one came in with an orange pollen load already built up, reaching past the petal toward the exposed stamens.

Why it matters

Western honey bees aren’t native to North America — they arrived with European colonists — but they’ve become essential to modern agriculture, responsible for pollinating a huge share of commercial food crops. A single colony can contain tens of thousands of workers, all female.

Getting the shot

The 105mm macro at close range threw the hosta’s throat into a soft purple wash, isolating the bee and the pale stamens as the only sharp elements in the frame.