just like a meteor in the Night

this little "shooting star" appeared in the Bluebell Thicket.  A native prairie wildflower, I know where local patches are, but never have had on on my half acre! These flowers are bee pollinated, but due to their odd shape, bees use "buzz pollination".

Flowers like dodecatheon (the shooting stars), nightshade, blueberries and tomatoes are pollinated this way. The bees grasp the anthers, emit high pitched buzzing sounds which cause a kind of sonic explosion of the pollen. These flowers are favored by bumblebees, not honeybees since they have no nectar reward for the pollinators. Who knew??

There is a great explanation on buzz pollination at www.baynature.org. Put buzz pollination in the search box on the left hand side.

PS.
Happy Mother's Day everyone :o)