Carpenter Bee approaching Mystic Spires Salvia

My what big eyes you have!

This is a male California Carpenter Bee Xylocopa californica.

There is some pollen caught on its hairs.

In urban gardens carpenter bees visit wisteria for pollen and nectar, and salvia and lavender for nectar. We don't grow wisteria, but we have both lavender and salvia plants.

The mystic spire shrub is the tallest of our salvias, and seems to bloom throughout the entire year, as long as it is deadheaded and is regularly fed with compost.