Hi Mark, It's not that I'd have no seed at all - im just used to them seeding freely and I pull them where I don't need them - not enough seed for that. But the damage done is considerable - the Mirabilis just don't look decorative anymore with half of the flowers bent and the rest drying up faster then usual. have a look at these: Bumblebee at work: http://www.planetoblivion.de/img/MJ_Thief.JPG Damage done: no hand pollination if the stylus is cut through: http://www.planetoblivion.de/img/Breakthrough.JPG Damage on Digitalis: http://planetoblivion.de/img/… Actually, there are several attractive digitalis - I sowed 10 species this year to get an overview of the genus, but as they are usually at least biannual, only Lutea, Grandiflora and one Purpurea cultivar have flowered by now. So, next year will bring Lanata, Laevigata, Ferruginea, Parviflora, Obscura and, if I get those through the winter, Canariensis and Sceptrum. But we're leaving geophytes territory here ;) Martin Am 02.08.2015 um 14:24 schrieb mark zukaitis: > Hi Martin, > > How interesting that the bumblebees have learned a new strategy to get food. Interesting that they figured out how to eat their way through the corollas. I have never seen Digitalis lutea in the USA, but in Rome I saw it for the first time and really liked it. There was another Digitalis whose name I can't remember that I have only seen there too. > > Could you hand pollinate the Mirabilis to make sure you get some seeds? It would be a shame for you to have to do without them! > > Mark >
