INFO |
 |
 |
||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flowers first evolved somewhere between 150-250 million years ago. The way flowers differ from other plants is in their reproductive method. Before flowers, all plants reproduced via seeds or spores. The innovation flowers offered was relying on an animal to spread their pollen to other plants, which allowed them to spread much more rapidly. | FUN FACT! Since bees notice brighter colors more against a neutral background, flowers evolved the bright colors that we appreciate for aesthetic purposes today. |
|||
 |
FUN FACT! There are bees native to Hawaii. It is unknown how they travelled so far across the ocean (likely from east Asia), but there are around 70 unique species. |
Initially, pollination was handled by various random insects, drawn to the nectar in the plant. However, as more flowers appeared, the opportunity arose for the bee to evolve. It was specifically designed to carry pollen between flowers, helping them spread, while taking nectar from the flowers to support their hives. This symbiotic relationship caused flowers to basically take over the world, with bees by their side. When you think of flowers, what comes to mind is the flowers we plant for decoration, but flowers are present on 90% of all plants. Some notable exceptions are conifers, ferns, grasses (including wheat), or mosses. Pollination is what allows a plant to produce fruits and seeds, which means the food we receive from plants is dependent on them being properly pollinated. Given this, our food supply heavily relies on pollination, and therefore we rely on bees. | ||