Plant Reproduction _700-800L_04

Plants have all the parts they need to reproduce. That does not mean that plants do not need additional help. Plants have adapted to take advantage of this help. For some plants, it is the wind that carries the pollen. For others, they rely on the work of animals to carry the pollen to other locations.
Animals are drawn to plants in a couple of ways. Some flowers have strong scents. Others have brightly colored flowers. Still others have tasty fruit. That why people have to put fences around their vegetable gardens.
For your mother’s plants, the bright colors of the plants help to attract the butterflies. When they see those colors, they know sweet nectar is waiting for them. As they drink, they pick up pollen from the plant’s anther. From flower to flower, they fly looking for more nectar. At each flower, they deposit another plant’s pollen on the plant’s stigma. In doing so, they pollinate the flower’s eggs. The flower will now be able to grow fruit.
Mom is not concerned about how plants reproduce. She just wants butterflies in her yard to look at. But in case she asks, you are ready to explain it to her. For now, the new flowers look marvelous. She will be even happier when the butterflies arrive.