Double Cranberry Cosmos attracting bees and butterflies

Honey bee collecting nectar from a double cranberry cosmos flower

Last month I bought two cosmos seedlings from Annie's Annuals because I haven't had a lot of luck planting them from seed. Now they are producing beautiful flowers and attracting bees and butterflies. I just make sure that they get watered with our gray water several times a week. They don't need a full dousing, but enough to keep the roots moist.

Apparently male bees sometimes sleep at night on cosmos and sunflowers but I haven't yet seen them sleeping in cosmos flowers, I'll also need to keep monitoring our Mammoth sunflower once it starts to bloom.

Before you purchase cosmos plants be sure that they are the genus that attracts pollinators, such as the Cosmos bipinnatus and Cosmos sulphureus. Spring flowering cosmos such as Sonata Series, tend not to be attractive to bees. And always purchase non-GMO seeds or plants.

And here is an umber skipper butterfly perched on a double cranberry cosmos bud.

Look at the tips of its antennas!