Scrophularia Marilandica

Already starting to bloom in July! #brown #midwesternnative #beemagnet

A remarkably #intimidating specimen that towers over me; I've never seen one get this tall (at least 7 feet) #beemagnet #shadelover

Just sprouting up #midwesternnative #foliagefriday

The flowers are almost spent now, but the bees are here all day, visiting the last few open blooms. #beemagnet #wildlifewednesday #exoskeletal

The annoying thing about wildflowers is the way they take hold everywhere. These highly desirable #midwesternnative flowering plants sprang up under the deck, no doubt soon to bring down the wrath of the HOA on my poor head

😃 So their most delightful quality can be annoying too. Hopefully the HOA will appreciate their determination.

They definitely will not, @novicegardenlover

#exoskeletal #wildlifewednesday

#midwesternnative #beemagnet #shadelover

Fall must be coming because there is 1 flower open on each of these... #beemagnet

Healthy stand of a serious, no-fooling #beemagnet of a plant

This valuable #brown flowering #beemagnet needs to be moved

I knew only from the seed shaker emerging from the top that this is my favorite #midwesternnative #brown flowering #beemagnet

#nativeplant #midwesternnative #beemagnet

Beneficial hornet

Bald-faced hornet dining on last fall's flowers; this one plant specie has been the most roaring success for attracting pollinators, outstripping even the bee balm #wildlifewednesday #exoskeletal

Almost all seed pods now, but the few open flowers are still buzzing with bees and bee analogues #midwesternnative

Caught her with her little wings in mid-flap #exoskeletal #beemagnet #brown

#actionshot #bee #inflight

Are you sure that's a bee? The face looks like a wasp

It's a Bald-Faced Hornet @lesliecole49 @crabby58

You're right Eileen @emch https://animals.howstuffworks.com/insects/hornet.htm

But I stand by my tag that this is a bee magnet! Not only bees of all descriptions but ants, yellowjackets, skippers and spiders are all over these flowers like white on rice...

These guys are by far the most common pollinators in the stand of Scrophularia marilandica this year. They have white head- and taillights but otherwise are mostly black. No idea what they are. #exoskeletal #midwesternnative #wildlifewednesday

EDIT: A Redditor tells me this is a Bald-Faced Hornet. You learn something new every day.

Close-up of a deliriously happy yellowjacket who's taken a long high dive into one of the funny little #brown flowers on this plant. They attract everything from bumblebees to ants. #exoskeletal #wildlifewednesday

Seems VERY early in the season, but these guys are starting to bloom...Please note there is already an #exoskeletal visitor jammed inside a floret on the R about halfway down... #brown #midwesternnative #beemagnet

This funny little #brown flower is such an incredible #beemagnet that the bees will hang upside down on them to sleep rather than go home at night. Never seen anything like this #midwesternnative

@emch I found out it's Scrophularia marilandica using NatureID! Try you, too, by downloading from https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=plant.identification.flower.tree.leaf.identifier.identify.cat.dog.breed.nature

TY @crabby58

Very welcome😊