Flowers May Suddenly Wilt To Recycle Resources From Fading Blooms And Fuel Future Growth, Increasing Their Chance Of Survival Next Season
Have you ever bought a fresh bouquet of perky flowers only to have the blooms randomly slump over like they’ve had a rough day? You might wonder what nutrients they’re lacking or if you possibly purchased a bad batch.
But wilting flowers do not always signal poor plant health, nor is it just an act of petal drama. Their sudden droopiness is actually the result of an intricate process in plants.
A team of researchers has shown that plants recycle resources from fading blooms to fuel future growth and reproduction, increasing the chances of survival down the line.
“Our research delivers the first direct demonstration that plants can salvage resources from wilting flowers and reuse these resources to promote future reproduction,” said Graham Pyke, the lead author of the study and a professor from Macquarie University in Sydney, Australia.
These resources include the energy and essential elements from the petals, such as carbohydrates, nitrogen, and phosphorus.
The study lasted for three years and focused on a perennial plant species called Blandfordia grandiflora, commonly known as Christmas Bells.
The plant blooms in December, boasting colorful red and yellow flowers. It is native to eastern Australia and is sold in local and international flower markets. Commercially grown stems produce a range of two to a dozen flowers or more.
“Our research takes place on a plantation containing several hectares of native wet health where Christmas bells flower quite profusely, along with a commercial shade house,” said Pyke.
The team used multiple techniques to control flower wilting and pollination. Then, they checked the effect on re-flowering and seed pollination.
Anne Powell – stock.adobe.com – illustrative purposes only – pictured above are wilted flowers
They found that plants did not utilize the resources from wilted flowers to boost short-term reproduction in the same flowers or other flowers within the plant.
Instead, the resources were reserved for the next flowering season. Blandfordia grandiflora does this by transferring resources from wilting flowers and storing the energy in corms and roots to help produce new flowering stems in the next season a year later.
Over time, plants have evolved diverse strategies for managing their flowers, and wilting is just one of them.
It follows the concept of resource allocation, which is when flowers direct their limited resources to certain areas.
Not all plants with flowers wilt to save energy, though. On some plants, flowers still bloom even after they stop producing nectar and serve their primary reproductive function. The appearance of fresh flowers makes the plant more attractive to pollinators.
The researchers also discovered that taller flowering stems produced more seeds and heavier seeds than plants with flowers positioned lower on the plant.
Additional research is needed to determine how plants move and change salvaged resources and how much more beneficial saving resources are than just making more flowers.
The study was published in Plant Biology.
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