Rocket builds a flower out of paper and sets it outside. "Come on, bees!" he calls. Nobody comes.
Raven compares it to a real flower. "What do you notice? What does the real one have that yours does not?"
Nova hovers between them. "Visitors come for a reason," she says. "What might they get from a real flower?"
Rocket gasps. "Food!"
Pollinators visit flowers for food.
Nectar is a sugary liquid. It gives pollinators energy to fly.
Pollen gives them proteins, fats, vitamins and minerals.
While an animal feeds, pollen sticks to its body.
At the next flower, some of that pollen rubs off on the stigma.
Flowers use showy petals, color, shape and size to attract pollinators.
Some flowers also have scents.
Some flowers have nectar guides. These are patterns that point to the nectar.
Some nectar guides show up only in ultraviolet light.
People cannot see ultraviolet light, but bees can.
| Statement | True or false? |
|---|---|
| Pollinators visit flowers for food. | ? |
| Nectar guides help pollinators find the nectar. | ? |
| People can see ultraviolet patterns on flowers. | ? |
| Pollen gives pollinators proteins and vitamins. | ? |
About 80 percent of all flowering plants rely on animal pollinators.
That means about 8 out of every 10 kinds.
Great reasoning! Tomorrow we match flowers to the pollinators that visit them.