I was pulling weeds the other day, and as I was bent over I heard a loud noise "buzzing". I stood up to see what it was and was almost face to face with what seemed like hundreds of bumble bees working a Devil's Walking stick tree (Aralia spinosa). I thought for the last several years it was a Wisteria and I had pruned it back several times trying to prune it into a tree shape. I guess I succeeded, it is now a tree.

This is the first year the tree and one in my neighbors yard has ever bloomed, and I think it was because we had trees cut by the power company that allowed direct sunlight to reach these trees and allow them to bloom. The bees seem to prefer this over anything else in the garden. I had never seen so many bumble bees and a few other types of bees on one plant.