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Why are flowers different colours?
Flowers are different colours because they have different colour pigments inside them.
The petals of a flower have tiny colour grains inside them. These are called pigments. Some flowers have pigments that make red and purple, some have pigments that make yellow and orange, and some have parts that make them look white. Whichever pigment there is more of, that is the colour the flower shows.
These colours are not just by chance. Flowers are colourful to attract insects like bees and butterflies. Insects land on the flower and carry pollen, and this lets the flower make seeds. So the colours are like a call the flower sends out to insects.
Even the same kind of flower can sometimes be different colours. This is because of the flower's genes and the soil it grows in. For example, the colour of some flowers can even change depending on whether the soil is acidic or not.
Quick facts
- The colour in flowers comes from tiny grains called pigments.
- Flowers are colourful to attract insects like bees and butterflies.
- Insects carry pollen from flower to flower, helping seeds to form.
- The same kind of flower can bloom in different colours depending on the soil.
- Some insects can see colours that people cannot see.
Check what you remember
3 questions — all of them come from the quick facts above. There is no score and no wrong turn.
1. What are the tiny grains that give flowers their colour called?
2. Why are flowers colourful?
3. What do insects carry from flower to flower?
Where this comes from
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1 tr.wikipedia.org 80/100Flower - Wikipedia
Gives general information about the parts of a flower and what they do.
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2 tr.wikipedia.org 78/100Pollination - Wikipedia
Explains why insects visit flowers and how they carry pollen.
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3 britannica.com 75/100Flower - Britannica
An encyclopedia page that reliably explains the structure and colours of flowers.
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