The Clever Tricks Flowers Use to Attract Pollinators

by Delia Moreno, age 7

Flowers have adapted in many unique ways to attract pollinators. Some of these characteristics include landing platforms for insects, brightly colored petals, and leaves or structures with special shapes to make sure insects are covered in pollen.

Plants need to spread pollen to reproduce. Pollen is often sticky, and when insects land on a flower, it clings to their bodies. These insects then transfer pollen to another flower, allowing reproduction to occur.

One of many ways flowers attract pollinators is through creating unique platforms for insects to land on. Specifically, on some flowers, petals at the base of the bloom serve as a landing station. When an insect lands, its weight can trigger a spring-like mechanism in the flower, causing the release of pollen.

Other types of flowers attract pollinators through their sweet scent. Insects feed on the sweet nectar found in flowers, and they are especially drawn to the ones that smell the strongest. The bird cherry tree, for example, smells like almonds and attracts bees, butterflies, and moths. Other flowers that use scent to attract pollinators include elderflowers, magnolias, and lilacs.

Some flowers are shaped like tubes. These tubular flowers force pollinators to crawl through pollen to reach the nectar inside. One example is the catalpa, or Indian bean tree, which is found in the southeastern and midwestern United States. Many flowers also use bright colors to attract pollinators because they are highly visible. Some colorful flowers include irises, dahlias, and bird-of-paradise flowers.

The main types of pollinators are insects like honeybees and butterflies, but bats and birds also help transfer pollen. For example, hummingbirds and fruit bats hover in the air to eat nectar from trees and plants.

Flowers have evolved in unique ways to ensure they are able to make new seeds. In doing so, flowering plants have formed mutually beneficial relationships with pollinators.

[Source: Eyewitness Books: Tree]