The Bee Garden.
Texas Kidneywood, Eysenhardtia Texana. This is a wonderful Texas Native Tree that has the sweetest fragrance and has a long bloom period from May to October. The Bees love its bloom as well as numerous types of butterflies. The addition of Kidneywood to your bee garden will give you lots of activity to enjoy. It is deciduous,has a many branched airy structure and will grow 4 to 10 ft tall. Being a Texas Native it is very drought tolerant. This tree and its relative Kidneywood (E. polystacha) wereonce used in remedies for kidney and bladder ailments, hence the name. I came across this tree while at a Nursery gathering other plants. There was only one, andthere were bees visiting it. I was not acquainted with this plant and having bees on it Iwas even more interested. I wrote down the name so I could find out more about it. At our Club meeting in August of 2009 Shelby Kilpatrick asked me if I new about theKidneywood and I told her my story. Her father Scott informed me that they hadvisited a man that raises butterflies for a living and ships them around the world. The Kidneywood Trees at his operation were covered with bee and butterfly activity. The Texas Kidneywood will be an excellent provider of nectar for our beesduring the nectar flow and well after our Julyharvest with its long bloom period. It will be a great addition to your Bee Garden!