Thursday, July 19, 2012

Pollinators

Growing Green
Pollinators
When you look at the forests and gardens at this time of year you can see the blooming in full swing. Flowers are the plants method to attract pollinators. Each fruit that you eat and every vegetable that you cook is a product of that plant being pollinated. Now, without going into the nitty gritty, plants need a male and female to make new seeds that will grow into a new plant. The difference with plants (as opposed to animals) is that plants have both the male and female parts in a single flower.
However, combining the male seed (pollen) with the female (pistil) doesn't usually happen by itself. (There are self-pollinating plants that take care of the middleman, like the sunflower!) Now, since plants can't move by themselves, they need insects, birds, bats, and even the wind to help combine the two. Instead of creating a new explanation, I'll point you to this great video that shows (in great humor!) the basics of pollination.

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