A common eastern bumble bee (Bombus impatiens) visits a blue wood aster (Aster cordifolius)

A common eastern bumble bee (Bombus impatiens) visits a blue wood aster (Aster cordifolius). The common eastern bumble bee is native to eastern North America and is an important pollinator. This bee is carrying a thick coating between its eyes. If you look closely, you can see the tiny claws the bee uses to grip the flower, which remind me a bit of ice climbing crampons. Blue wood asters are native to eastern North America and can grow up to 6 ft tall under certain conditions. Blue wood asters are late blooming herbaceous plants that provide food for honeybees, bumble bees, and other wildlife that need to prepare for winter hibernation.