Insects find lifeline in the busiest of busy lizzies
by Paul Evans from on (#KVYH)
Wenlock Edge, Shropshire Despite its invasive tendencies, Himalayan balsam is a useful food source for many insects
Pop, pip, pop ... seedheads of Himalayan balsam are bursting in tiny explosions. The flower heads are chandeliers of red-green, glassy, pendants, which open into lipped, lobed, bulbous flowers like orchids from cerise to shell pink.
Each of these has a bee's backside sticking out of it. When they're pollinated and the petals crinkle and fall, the seedhead grenades are formed.
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