Do you want to know why flowers of different colors?

The word "flower" comes from the word "color", "a small piece of color". And it's true, these amazing plants amaze with an incredible variety of shades! Why flowers of different colors? And why are their petals painted that way? Let's try to figure this out.

Where does this variety come from?

For the color of the plant meet the flavonoids - organic compounds, available in huge quantities in each flower. It is their combinations and combinations that give the plant its unique look and shade. They are absolutely utilitarian in nature, that is created not only for us to admire the beauty of flowers. Flavonoids protect plants from excessive ultraviolet radiation, from temperature drop, from external chemical aggression and, of course, attract bright colors of insect pollinators. A large number of flavonoids are known, belonging to several groups according to the chemical structure.

So, anthocyanin gives the flowers violet, blue, lilac, red and other shades. And, for example, green, orange and yellow appear due to other pigments, which include chlorophyll, carotene and similar substances, which also have a diverse chemical structure. Yellow pigments absorb ultraviolet light well, and plants do not fade from the sun. By the way, alpine flowers, as a rule, are painted in this shade.

Why flowers of different colors, can explain their level of acidity. The higher it is, the stronger the flower tends to a red shade. If you drop it on the blue petal with vinegar, it will turn red. In autumn, by the way, the level of acidity in plants increases, so even the foliage begins to delight us with amazing shades of red, yellow and orange. Yes, and most of the colors that open in early autumn, have the same sun color.

If the corolla cells do not have any pigment, then white color turns out . Since the flavonoid pigments perform the protective function as the main function, and their presence in the flower increases its resistance to the external environment, then a complete absence of them gives the flower a vulnerability. Perhaps that's why white flowers are so tender.

Flowers with unusual coloring

Why flowers of different colors are determined by the different chemical compounds present in their cells. As a rule, all the petals of the same flower are painted the same, but there are exceptions. For example, in a tri-colored violet (pansies) and in a Venus shoe, petals are colored, often in contrasting colors. And for some flowers, the corolla changes color during flowering. Thus, in the bud of the lungwort, when it opens, the petals are pink. And over time, they gradually turn blue until the corolla turns blue or blue in the case of discolouration. There are plants that have spotted or striped petals and even with a colored border on the edge of the corolla. Garden flowers, photos of which you can see in this article, confirm their amazing diversity.

Knowing why flowers of different colors, many breeders experiment, displaying amazing in color and stamina home plants, not only by crossing, but also by acidification of soil and special feeding. For example, calcium and magnesium will help create a more intense blue, and potassium - red. Thus, from the bricks created by nature, a person can build an amazingly beautiful world.