What determines the color of a flower?
Like humans, flowers inherit their appearance from genes. Pigments are “born” into these plants, producing a range of colors across the spectrum. The same chemical, carotenoid, that produces pigment in tomatoes and carrots, also produces yellow, red, or orange color in certain flowers.
What makes a Flower a Flower? A flower is defined as the seed-bearing part of a plant, consisting of reproductive organs that are typically surrounded by a brightly colored petals and green sepals.
After many more experiments cross-breeding further generations of flowers, Mendel concluded that the color of the pea flowers was determined by a single locus or gene. In order for that gene to produce two different colors, it must be made up of two factors known.
Reasons for Color Changing in Hibiscus
Anthocyanins produce blue, purple, red, and pink colors, depending on the individual pigment molecule and the pH it is exposed to. Flavonols are responsible for pale yellow or white colors. Carotenoids create colors on the “warm” side of the spectrum – yellows, oranges, and reds.
Chlorophyll is a pigment that gives plants their green color, and it helps plants create their own food through photosynthesis.
Flowers are the reproductive parts of the plant. In this case, the pollen from the flower needs to be pollinated with the ovary in order to reproduce offspring; hence, flowering plants have colorful petals and sweet nectar to attract pollinators effectively.
The colors you see in flowers come from the DNA of a plant. Genes in a plant's DNA direct cells to produce pigments of various colors. When a flower is red, for instance, it means that the cells in the petals have produced a pigment that absorbs all colors of light but red.
Flowers that are bright in color are meant to attract birds, bees and other insects in order to help the plants reproduce. Bright colors or dull colors are fixed in the genetics of a flower.
Snowdrops are unique because they only come in one color. Their creamy white petals give off a sweet honey scent. Snowdrops are a symbol of home and purity.
Did you know that blue is the rarest flower color? Brandon George, graduate student in Public Garden Leadership at Cornell University, takes an in-depth talk on the color blue, why it is so rare in the plant world, and some tips for displaying it in a garden.
How do pigments gain their colors?
Pigments are created by modifying which colors are absorbed. Another way to make colors is to absorb some of the frequencies of light, and thus remove them from the white light combination. The absorbed colors are the ones you don't see -- you see only the colors that come bouncing back to your eye.
Flowers are brightly coloured in order to attract insects for pollination.
The flowers use coordinated signals of color and fragrance to attract insects, which acquire pollen during floral visits and ensure pollination of the plants.
