At the beginning of the world, the earliest flowers didn't have much color. They weren't very big, and they were very pale. Whitish or light yellow or pale green. Back then, most flowers were wind pollinated, so the pollen in those flowers would blow on the wind to the next flower and pollinate it. 

But as pollinators evolved, like bees, butterflies, birds, and other things, flowers developed pigment. Bees, butterflies, and many other insects can see colors very well. Bees, in particular, can easily see blues, reds, and bright colors. They also can see polarized light and ultraviolet light. So flowers began to evolve these fantastic colors to attract insects. They wanted to bring pollinators to distribute their pollen so they could reproduce.

It was like an advertisement for a bug buffet.

A flower that seems very attractive to bees may look dull to you. For example, if it is pale white or yellow, it may have an ultraviolet marking. So if you hold a handheld ultraviolet light over one of those flowers, you will see little dots, lines, and stripes that lead right into the center of the plant, where the pollen and the nectar are, enticing them to land.

The insects gather the flower's pollen and nectar for food and then move on to the next colorful flower to repeat the process. Pollen sticks to their feet and bodies, spreading to other flowers and causing pollination and reproduction.

This survival tactic is not just a coincidence, however. Researchers believe flowers continue to evolve their features over time better to attract birds, bees, and other pollinators. To lure hummingbirds, for example, certain flowers now produce red and orange colors. After a while, animals and insects connect the flower's color to rewarding food sources. They are more likely to seek out these types of flowers for pollen and nectar in the future as a result. While other flower features, such as texture and fragrances, are also used to attract pollinators, a plant's color is vital to its survival from one generation to the next.

Humans can, for the most part, view all colors in the visible spectrum. Still, every human perceives pigment differently, so a red rose may appear more vibrant to one person than another. Beauty and color are in the eye of the beholder.

The perfect gift for wooden jigsaw puzzlers, and flower and garden lovers, this traditional adult wooden jigsaw puzzle can be done time and again. Our wooden jigsaw puzzle artists have included many whimsy wooden jigsaw puzzle pieces that match the subject of the photograph, and we have integrated them in ways that will delight and surprise you as you put the wooden jigsaw puzzle together.