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FlickrPollen makes some people sneeze, but it is very important. Almost 80% of plants worldwide require pollen. Believe it or not, one of every three bites of food we eat comes from a plant that has been pollinated when pollen moves from one flower to another, starting fruit or seed formation. Pollen is a fine, powdery substance, typically yellow, made of microscopic grains discharged from the male part of a flower (the stamen) or a male cone. Each pollen grain contains a male gamete that can fertilize the female ovule, and it is transported by the wind, insects, or other animals.
Activity 1 – Yellow Powder
Activity 2 – Pollen and the Food Chain
In the food chain, birds and other small mammals depend on fruits and seeds to survive. These plants produce heavier, stickier pollen that clings to pollinators such as bees, butterflies, bats, and birds. Pollinators then spread the powder to other plants, flowers, and seeds. All of our fruits and vegetables depend on pollination to grow. Fruits and vegetables are important to people, plants, animals, and life on Earth!
Activity 3 – Spring, Summer, and Fall Pollination
Early spring bloomers such as Serviceberry bushes, Maple trees, and willows spread pollen. As spring turns into summer, perennials such as coneflowers (Echinacea), milkweed, Joe Pye weed, and bee balm produce pollen. Fall blooms like goldenrod and asters share pollen. Herbs like Rosemary, Basil, and Thyme also share pollen with other pollinators, fertilizing other plants.
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