There’s a tree in Kansas that steals the spotlight every September. It’s like a magnet for buzzing bees and cheerful birds, creating a lively scene you won’t want to miss.
I love how it turns the neighborhood into a buzzing garden party, full of life and color. Watching all the wildlife gather here feels like a little nature celebration.
If you’ve never noticed it before, this tree might just become your new favorite September sight!
1. Nectar Bonanza
Kansas beekeepers mark their calendars for this September treat. The Seven-Son Flower produces an abundance of sweet nectar when most other plants have stopped flowering.
Honeybees stockpile this last chance at winter stores, while native bees buzz with excitement. The timing couldn’t be better for Kansas pollinators preparing for colder months ahead.
2. Fragrant Invitation
The sweet jasmine-like scent wafts through Kansas gardens, creating an irresistible perfume that travels on September breezes. Pollinators can detect this fragrance from impressive distances.
Local Kansas gardeners often comment on how the honey from hives near these plants carries subtle notes of this distinctive scent. The fragrance intensifies during warm afternoons, creating a powerful attractant.
3. Perfect Timing
When Kansas landscapes start winding down for the season, the Seven-Son Flower is just hitting its stride. This late bloomer flowers precisely when food sources become scarce for wildlife.
Migrating birds passing through the Sunflower State find this well-timed buffet during their journey south. The plant’s strategic blooming schedule fills a critical gap in the natural food calendar.
4. Butterfly Magnet
Monarchs making their epic journey through Kansas find these flowers to be perfect refueling stations. The flat flower clusters provide ideal landing pads for butterflies of all sizes to rest their wings.
Kansas butterfly enthusiasts plant these specifically to support migration. Swallowtails, painted ladies, and skippers join the monarch parade, creating a colorful display around the white blooms.
5. Hummingbird Haven
Ruby-throated hummingbirds making their way through Kansas rely on these late-season blooms for crucial energy. Their long bills easily access the tubular flowers that are perfectly shaped for their feeding style.
Kansas bird watchers report increased hummingbird activity around these plants. The tiny birds become territorial over these valuable resources, performing aerial displays to defend their newfound treasure.
6. Prolonged Flowering
Unlike many flash-in-the-pan bloomers, these plants provide weeks of continuous flowering throughout September in Kansas. This extended blooming period ensures a reliable food source when wildlife needs it most.
Kansas gardeners appreciate this long-lasting show when other garden stars have faded. The persistent flowers continue attracting pollinators long after other plants have gone to seed.
7. Vibrant Berry-Like Fruits
After flowering, the plant develops striking purple-red fruits that attract fruit-eating birds throughout Kansas. These colorful drupes provide essential fatty nutrients just as birds prepare for migration or winter.
Kansas birdwatchers note how cedar waxwings and robins flock to these plants. The bright fruits stand out against autumn’s palette, creating a visual beacon that birds can spot from great distances.
8. Drought Resistance
Kansas’s occasionally dry September weather poses no problem for this hardy plant. Once established, it continues producing nectar-rich flowers even during dry spells when other plants have surrendered.
Local Kansas wildlife depends on these drought-resistant blooms during challenging conditions. The plant’s deep root system allows it to access groundwater that other more shallow-rooted plants cannot reach.
9. Exfoliating Bark
Beyond its flowers, the plant’s peeling cinnamon-colored bark provides nesting material for Kansas birds. Small birds like chickadees and titmice carefully collect these bark strips for nest building.
Kansas naturalists observe birds returning to these plants throughout the year. The exfoliating bark creates microhabitats for beneficial insects too, establishing a mini-ecosystem within the Kansas garden.
10. Abundant Pollen
Each flower cluster produces copious amounts of pollen – a protein-rich resource desperately needed by Kansas bees preparing for winter. The white stamens stand out visibly, making pollen collection efficient for busy pollinators.
Kansas beekeepers notice stronger hives when these plants are nearby. Native bees collect this late-season pollen to provision nests, ensuring the next generation has food to develop.
11. Strategic Height
Growing 10-20 feet tall, these plants create perfect perching spots for birds surveying Kansas gardens. Hummingbirds use the highest branches as lookout posts between feeding sessions.
Kansas bird enthusiasts appreciate how the plant’s architecture supports wildlife. The tiered branching pattern creates multiple feeding zones, allowing different species to forage simultaneously without competition.
12. Protective Cover
The dense branching pattern offers shelter where birds can hide from Kansas hawks and other predators. Small songbirds dart into these protective thickets when danger threatens.
Kansas wildlife observers note how birds use these plants as safe feeding stations. The plant’s structure allows birds to quickly move from exposed feeding areas to protected interior spaces when they feel vulnerable.
13. Nighttime Nectar
Unlike many flowers that close at dusk, these blooms continue producing nectar throughout Kansas nights. Moths and other nocturnal pollinators take the night shift when bees return to their hives.
Kansas moth enthusiasts document numerous species visiting after dark. The plant effectively doubles its ecological value by serving both day and night wildlife shifts across the Sunflower State.
14. Weather Resistance
September in Kansas can bring unpredictable weather, but these flowers stand strong through wind and rain. Their durable blooms continue attracting wildlife even after storms that would destroy more delicate flowers.
Kansas gardeners value this reliability during autumn’s changeable conditions. When sudden temperature drops send other plants into dormancy, these flowers maintain their wildlife-supporting role without missing a beat.
15. Native Insect Support
Beyond bees and butterflies, Kansas’s native flies, beetles, and wasps flock to these flowers. These often-overlooked pollinators play crucial roles in the ecosystem and find late-season sustenance here.
Kansas entomologists document incredible insect diversity on these plants. The complex ecological web supported by a single Seven-Son Flower can include dozens of different insect species interacting in fascinating ways.