Why Do Flowering Plants Need Flowers?

Reproduction

• Flowers are part of a plant's reproductive system. Flowers produce pollen, the method by which plants spread their genetic material to other plants. The petals of the flower protect the pollen until it is ready to be spread, sheltering the parts of the reproductive system including the pistil, stamen and ovule. Flowers provide nature's perfect incubator for this valuable genetic material, protecting it from rain, wind and sun.

Attraction

• A flower is designed to attract help when it comes to the spread of genetic material. Bright colors and open leaves attract birds and insects to the pollen-covered center of the bloom, causing pollen to stick to the intruder. When the bird or insect lands on another flower, the pollen is deposited there, fertilizing the next plant and preparing it for reproduction. Brighter flowers make the plant more attractive to pollinators, so plants need their flowers to attract these helpers.

Defense

• Flowers also provide a defense against predators. Certain plants have flowers that are painful or poisonous for flower-loving insects and animals to eat. This flowery defense ensures the plant gets to continue its mission of reproduction without interruption.

Fruit

• Flowers become the essential parts of a plant's reproduction -- the seeds. After fertilization, the flower's ovule gets ready to produce the next generation of plants. This triggers the plant to change priorities from flowering to seeding. When a blossom fades, this is the outward sign of a plant that is ready to produce seeds. The ovule develops into a seed and the walls around the ovule thicken to become a shell or fruit around the seeds, protecting and nourishing them.