Ruud Kleinpaste: Attractive colours and pollinators - Saturday Morning with Jack Tame

Most gardeners are aware that certain plants appear to be great for pollinators. Pollination is important for the reproduction of plants, and it comes in many different ways. We often just sit and watch the spectacle unfold as we have a cup of tea in front of our shed. 

Pollination is done through ABIOTIC ways: (wind movements) or through BIOTIC techniques (Mostly insects: bees, flies, butterflies, moths, beetles and birds). It makes sense that early flowering plants rely on early pollinating insects. Dandelions are a good example; they often use small native bees to do the job.   

By the way, about one-third of New Zealand’s plants are wind-pollinated (think grasses and the various plants that cause hayfever). 

Here’s a line-up of all sorts of pollinators in the group of insects. For the flowers pollinated by insects, especially bees, it’s interesting to note that they have different colour vision to humans. Blue, green, violet and ultra-violet are the key colours.    

The blue flowers that will certainly bring in the pollinators are Ageratum, Chatham Island Forget-Me-Not, Cornflower, Delphinium, Echinops, and Eryngium, with standards such as Salvia, Phacelia, Campanula and Tweedia. 

When birds are getting involved in pollination (just under 10%), you’ll find that Tui and Bellbirds are often at the front of the line, with silvereyes waiting for their turn.   

Kowhai, Flax, Rata species, and special recipients of bird beaks, such as Kaka Beak and Mistletoe are the lure for birds.   

Bellbird and tui with orange pollen and red flowers

While most insects see things in blue, violet, and ultra-violet spectrum, birds see red and yellow. 

Blackbirds also see red flowers: They love to “cause trouble” in the Feijoa trees with heaps of red flowers by violently ripping the flowers to pieces…   

The most efficient way to pollinate the crop of feijoas!!!  

LISTEN ABOVE 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.