If you want to attract someone’s attention, do you shout? Do you jump up and down and wave like crazy? Flowers can’t do any of those things, but even so, they convince animals—even humans!—to visit.
They get some of their visitors to hang around long enough to get covered in pollen, and then those animals take the pollen to other flowers, which helps the plant reproduce.
Flowers use traps, tricks, and bribes (such as a sweet liquid called nectar) to lure animals. Color and scent play a big role. So do shape, size, landing pads, and other special attractions. If you ever wonder why a flower looks or smells weird, just ask yourself: whose attention is it trying to attract?
