The status of knapweeds (Centaurea spp.) as invasive species is very interesting and widely documented. However, it’s a topic that I’ve chosen to bypass in order to feature some of the many pollinators that swarm the knapweed bloom in the hot, muggy days of summer. I mow (brush hog) several sites once a year in order to arrest succession and maintain herbaceous habitat for wildlife. Grasses, goldenrods and knapweed dominate these managed openings. The knapweed bloom precedes the goldenrod bloom and appears to fill a void in the natural sources of nectar for pollinators.
Photos by NB Hunter (July). © All Rights Reserved.
Nick's Nature Pics 
I really like a summer time field. What a nice variety of bees and butterflies and vegatation.
As I told the MD when getting a Rx for Lyme disease the second year in a row, I spend too much time in the weeds!
Now this is a very interesting series of photographs. I have enjoyed looking at them!
Thanks Anne! I’m having fun in the mid day heat!?
Fantastic photos!
Thanks! Glad you enjoyed the fruits of my “labors”!
Thanks for this great informative post! I just recently ‘discovered’ this lovely plant… it was on the bank of the Rogue River here…. a spot that had flooded last winter and this charming flower popped up in the midst of (seemingly) nothing but river rocks. I was so enchanted with this plant that I included it in a recent post (https://gunta.photos/2022/07/03/splendor-in-the-grass-2/)
We also decided to try planting it on a rather steep bank behind the house to help stabilize it. It’ll be nice to see how it does there. Being beneficial to pollinators is a decided plus!
Love the photos of the butterflies and bees – not so crazy about that spider!
When we look closely we see just how important our native grasses and plants are to the ecosystem. Nicely done, Nick!