Indian Hemp/Dogbane - Apocynum cannabinum. Kin to milkweeds (indeed it has its cousin's nasty latex making it a very toxic salad green), but interestingly it does not have pollinia like milkweeds, but essentially sticky pollen, that gets glued to visitors. If I read things right the pollen is not used to feed baby bees (this needs to be verified) and it is mostly a nectar attraction game. In the google literature claims of attractiveness to bees is all over the map, some way it attracts a lot and others say it is mostly a moth/butterfly thing. I can tell from lots of field experience that there is often almost nothing on these plants and then BOOM bees all over the place. My impression is that it is more used when nothing better is blooming (sort of the Raman Noodle of the bee plant world). Good plant to stick in an established cool season field as it seems (like common milkweed) to be able to handle the competition. Photo and specimen by Helen Lowe Metzman.
