Flower Variety: Colors and Shapes

These photos show the diversity of shapes and colors of several Iowa flowers. Flowers can give a plant an advantage in reproducing. Color and how different organisms perceive color is important to this advantage. 

• What is the purpose for a plant to have a flower?

• What would happen if a flower was ineffective?
• Why does the color of the flower make a difference?
• How do plants with flowers gain an advantage working with insects? 

Students could:

• Record information about the colors of flowers they see, preferably in a local prairie, but along the roadside works as well. 
• Make observations if they see insects interacting with the plants? Is there a difference between plants with flowers versus without? 
• Dive deeper to explore why certain plants produce fruit.

• PBS LearningMedia | NOVA : The Reproductive Role of Flowers:In this video from NOVA, learn about the critical role of flowers in seed plant reproductive biology.
• Kremp Florists | Why Plants Have Flowers: This goes into advantages plants have when they produce flowers.
• North Carolina State University News |What Do Bees See? And How Do We Know?: News article outlining what bees see in terms of color and light and how it impacts pollination. 
• National Center for Biotechnology | Selective Pressures Explain Differences in Flower Color among Gentiana lutea Populations: This journal article is above the 8th grade level, however it gives results of a controlled study on how pedal color correlates with pollinator visitation and may be a useful instructor resource.