Flowers are nature’s ad men. They’ll do anything to attract the attention of the pollinators that help them reproduce. That means spending precious energy on bright pigments, enticing fragrances and dazzling patterns.
Now, scientists have found another element that contributes to flowers’ brand: their distinct electric field.
Anne Leonard, who studies bees at the University of Nevada, says our understanding of pollinator-flower communication has been expanding for decades.
“Flowers do a lot of things you might not expect,” Leonard says. “We observe they have these distinct bright, beautiful colors, patterns, scents.”
But we don’t often stop to consider that this incredible display is all an attempt to attract bees and other pollinators. These displays don’t just consist of things humans notice. There are also patterns in the ultraviolet spectrum, petal temperatures and textures and shapes.
“We’ve found that by producing these combinations of sensory stimuli, the plant basically makes its flowers easier for the bee to learn and remember,” Leonard says.
That means the bee can forage more efficiently, and flowers are more likely to be pollinated.
