Flower Flower Give Me Your Nectar
Ahh yes! For many of
us the winter months are a time for flu shots and watching movies. Then the birds start singing their lilting
tunes and the days become a little warmer and longer. Creatures of the forest begin to emerge from
their winter hiding spots and previously dormant plants wake up. Humans wake, stretch and bask in the spring
sunshine, and maybe, just maybe, catch a glimpse of the first flower of the
year. And Oh My! That little firework of
color swimming amidst a sea of brown leaves always makes us so happy! So, with spring in mind, let us talk about
flowers!
The Dodecatheon jeffreyi or sierra shooting star Photo: sierrawildflowers.org
Little Sierra Shooting Star, why are you so pretty? The question may seem simple, but underneath
are some complicated natural phenomenon, and it all starts with the birds and
the bees. Every living thing will die someday
and, before it does, that living thing must reproduce in order for the species
to continue. For a plant rooted in place
the task of finding a mate is particularly challenging. With this in mind, plants have a secret up
their sleeves, flowers! These vibrant
petals and tantalizing aromas attract animals who act as the plant’s legs,
moving genetic material from one plant to the next. You may think, “Whoa, plants are manipulating animals for their own benefit!” and
it is true. However…there’s more. Flowers
also make jokes. “What did the old
flower say to the new flower? What’s up
bud!”
The mariposa lily Photo: sierrawildflowers.org
The animals that flowers attract are pollinators, and each
plant is trying to attract a specific set of animals. For this, the plants employ a number of
different strategies. Visual cues are
probably the most striking. Many flowers
have a dark center spot, or target, to indicate their location in the
environment and stand out amongst their surroundings. Other plants attract pollinators who see in
different sets of colors than humans. A bee’s
vision is in the ultra violet spectrum and consequently sees a flower
completely differently than a human.
Cool!
Silverweed: Left is
how humans see and right is how bees see. Photo: Bjørn Rørslett
Smells also attract animal pollinators. How a flower smells and when a flower smells
affects what pollinators it will be visited by.
Flowers trying to attract bats and moths will release a majority of
smelly compounds during the nighttime, while flowers attracting bees and
butterflies will smell most strongly during the day. Some flowers attract pollinating flies by
smelling like rotting meat or dung.
Finally, there are flowers that pollinated by birds. Since birds have a very poor sense of smell,
these flowers are often odorless. Next
time you stop to smell a flower, see if you can tell what kind of pollinator
the flower is trying to attract.
Mountain Misery -
photo credit: Andrew Massyn
Have you ever seen something that no one else did? Perhaps a rogue snowflake, a deer scampering
off, or a tiny flower peaking up through a crack in the pavement. As we move throughout our busy lives there
are many things vying for our attention, and often the little things go
unnoticed. These little things and the
glimpses of the rare lessons to slow down, take a deep breath, and observe
nature’s magic. After several very dry
years, California has had a healthy dose of rainfall. Many plant seeds can wait several years
underground for just the right conditions to sprout. This year those conditions for flowers are
ideal. Anza-Borrego Desert State Park in
southern California is in a super-bloom right now with an abundance of flowers bursting
from the ground. With this in mind, it
is time that we all get outside and enjoy some spring sunshine. Strap some shoes to your feet, walk to a
sunny spot and enjoy some flowery magic. Happy spring!
Photo
by Kirk Christ, Orange County Register/SCNG
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