Snoozing Squash Bees

Growing Native with Petey Mesquitey

Jul 13 2025 | 00:04:22

00:00 / 00:04:22

Show Notes

Squash bees are out early in the morning and moving pollen around well before honey bees even arrive. Research done by the Department of Agriculture found that squash bees “are largely responsible for the production of cultivated squash across North America and much of the Americas.” That is very cool, right? I like buffalo gourd (Cucurbita foetidissima) and I haven’t talked about it in many years, so this was fun. If you were to do a little homework you’d find that there has been a lot of research on both the seed of the gourd and also of the tuberous…

Other Episodes

Episode 0

March 31, 2024 • 00:04:32

Sumac

It is the ground dried fruit of Rhus coriaria that’s used in cooking throughout the Middle East. The fruit of our southwestern species of...

Episode

September 20, 2017 • 5:21

Solidago missouriensis

I grew up in Kentucky and the state flower of the state is goldenrod. The particular species that has that honor is Solidago gigantea....

Episode 0

August 02, 2021 • 00:04:52

Turtles, Dogs, Plants

I’m so lucky to live in the land of the ornate box turtle (Terrepene ornata luteola). For me it has been a wonderful journey...