Karl Foord - Extension Educator, Horticulture
While exploring the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum I encountered Dr. Stan Hokanson the woody plant breeder in the Department of Horticulture Science. He introduced me to the Clove Currant (Ribes odoratum). The odoratum nomenclature is well deserved. Clove Currant give off a very pleasant spicy fragrance hinting of clove and alspice (Photos 1 and 2). The plant has yellow flowers and a corolla long enough to restrict its pollinators to those with long tongues like bumblebees (Photos 3 and 4).
Another tree with fragrant flowers is the Korean crabapple (Malus bacatta jackii) one of the earlier flowering crabapples. The flowers are being visited by native bees (Photos 5 and 6).
Karl Foord
Photo 1: Clove Currant (Ribes odoratum) flower close-up
Karl Foord
Photo 2: Clove Currant (Ribes odoratum) flower
Karl Foord
Photo 3: Bumblebee showing long tongue required to reach nectaries on Clove Currant
Karl Foord
Photo 4: Bumblebee pollinating Clove Currant
Karl Foord
Photo 5: Native bee (Andrena ssp.) on Korean crabapple (Malus baccata jackii)
Karl Foord
Photo 5: Native bee on Korean crabapple (Malus baccata jackii)
