The Accidental Tourist

Biting into a piece of fruit is biting into a chance encounter. For the blossom of a fruit tree to come to fruition there must first be an exchange of pollen.

Pollen is the male reproductive part of a plant. The Stamen carries the male DNA gamete and the Pistil holds the female DNA gamete.

Pollen must be strong to protect the male gamete on their journey. The outer wall of the pollen grain, the exine is composed of a very unusual substance called sporollenin which is very tough. The inner layer is made of cellose and is similar in construction to an ordinary plant cell wall. Pollen grains are microscopic and just a pinch of pollen powder contains thousands and thousands of grains.

When insects such as bees, butterflies, moth, flies, and hummingbirds pollinate plants, it’s accidental. Usually the insects are at the plant to get food, the sticky pollen or sweet nectar made at the base of the petals. This kind of relationship in nature is called symbiosis.

Pollen granules stick to the bees' legs and other body parts as they help themselves to nectar (the precursor of honey) inside the flowers. When the stamen falls into the dewy chamber, by whatever means, of the flower and brushes onto the pistil it is referred to as cross pollination. At this point the production of seeds begins.

It would seem that in all of nature the brightest and prettiest get all the attention. The planet Earth is a plant based Biosphere so all plant life is vital no matter the painful societal comparisons.

Plants that are pollinated by insects are often brightly colored and have a strong smell to attract the pollinators. Bees cannot see the color red. But they do see a color we can’t: ultraviolet (UV). UV is what gives us sunburn. But to a bee, it’s a whole different color. Since bees can’t see red, red flowers are pollinated in other ways, by bats, butterflies, birds, or the wind. Flowers that want to attract bees have colors that bees can see. Often, white flowers, which look plain to us, actually reflect UV light, so they look very pretty to the bees.

Plants that are pollinated by wind often have long stamens and pistils. Since they do not need to attract animal pollinators, they can be dully colored, unscented, and with small or no petals since no insect needs to land on them. The exception to this would be the tenacious Dandelion. The bright yellow flower full of sweet nectar is not only a declaration of spring but a guiding light to very hungry bees.

There is no distinction between Bee pollen and pollen found on any other insect. Pollen has been called the perfect, some say for bees only, food. It contains proteins, essential amino acids, and B vitamins. It is easy to collect for eating and is often referred to as the bee keepers’ lunch.

If the bees don’t move the pollen fruit won’t be on the branches, shelves, or tables.