A Seussian Flower

Have you ever read "The Lorax" by Dr. Seuss?  It's a  cautionary tale that describes  the consequences when the concerns of nature are placed second to the concerns of commerce.   Weighty topics such  as  the conflict between economy and nature aside, some of the drawings by Dr. Seuss look an awful lot like one of my favorite flowers.





In the spring, the Bee Balm starts out as a collection of leaves near the ground but as the season progresses, long stalks emerge with tuft like flowers that, it turns out, the bees just love.  

 

If you look really close you can see that the flower is not really a single flower but a collection of individual blossoms. No wonder the bees are so busy around these plants, there is quite a lot of pollinating to be done.

I really have to wonder if when creating some of his characters, Dr. Seuss did not have a bee balm bush or two just outside of his window and used the flowers for inspiration.   

Maybe the bee balm was not the inspiration for the Truffula tree it is certain that this is one of the more unusual flowers in my garden.  Enjoy!