On flowers

The trilliums have become ragged in the woods around our yard. Flowers are a study in impermanence. We often conflate the flower with the plant, but a flowers is merely a means to an end - sexual reproduction. A flower is a free loader on the leaves, roots and stems that pay their way. Many of our forest flowers don't even bother with the business of sexual reproduction until they've established themselves as a root system. The thick patches of mayapple in our forest are mostly the result of colonization by underground rhizomes - i.e. asexual reproduction. An individual may labor at this honest work for four years or so before entering the sordid world of flowers, pollinators, and seeds.

In the relatively stable environment of the deep forest, there's a good chance that a site which was hospitable last year will be the same this year, whereas seed set and dispersal is more risky. Sexual reproduction is a luxury in the short term. Jack-in-the-pulpit decides how much energy to spend based on its age and condition. Younger or stressed plants make male flowers , while older and more healthy plants can invest in female flowers which will also entail producing costly seeds and berries.

Many flowers are alluring to our eyes with their colors and symmetry, even though we are not the intended audience when it comes to wildflowers. Jack-in-the-pulpits are easy for humans to overlook, but their attraction to insect pollinators come from a mushroom-like odor which fools gnats into entering by mistake. Ultimately a flowering plant has its own agenda, and one can't believe all its pretty promises.