Rocket designs a bright red flower for bees. "Bees will love this!" he says.
Raven checks the pollinator chart. "What do you notice about bees and the color red?"
Nova hovers over the chart. "Each visitor has favorite colors and shapes," she says. "Read the bee row."
Rocket laughs. "Bees cannot see red! Back to the drawing board."
| Visitor | Flower color | Flower shape or clue |
|---|---|---|
| bees | often blue or yellow (bees cannot see red) | landing platform, sweet or minty smell, open by day |
| butterflies | red, yellow, orange | clusters with landing platforms, open by day |
| hummingbirds | red, yellow, orange | tube shape, no scent |
| moths | white or dull | heavy scent, many open at night |
Hummingbirds have a poor sense of smell. So their flowers often have no scent.
As a hummingbird drinks, pollen dusts its head and back.
Butterflies do not pick up much pollen on their bodies.
Corn does not need animals.
The tassels at the top of a corn plant make pollen.
Wind blows the pollen onto the silks.
Each silk strand leads to one kernel of corn.
| Statement | True or false? |
|---|---|
| Bees cannot see red. | ? |
| Hummingbird flowers usually have a strong smell. | ? |
| Wind carries corn pollen from the tassels to the silks. | ? |
| Each corn silk leads to one kernel. | ? |
Terrific matching! Tomorrow we meet bees up close and plan our pollinator watch.