This little cluster of flowers may not look significant until you start exploring pollinators and pollination syndromes.

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What are pollination syndromes? Wikipedia definition: “Pollination syndromes are suites of flower traits that have evolved in response to natural selection imposed by different pollen vectors, which can be abiotic (wind and water) or biotic, such as birds, bees, flies, and so forth. These traits include flower shape, size, color, odor, reward type and amount, nectar composition, timing of flowering, etc.”

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Pollinators include bees, butterflies, hummingbirds, bats, moths, flies, wasps, and beetles. This predatory damselfly is seeking other insects to eat.

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This light damsel fly doesn’t require a huge, sturdy landing platform. Sedges are perfect perches for a damselfly who needs cover while hunting its prey. This pollinator doesn’t feed from the plant, but rather eats other insects, such as mosquitoes.

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This beetle would not be attracted to sedges, but would enjoy a flower with wide flowers and copious pollen.

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More than one pollinator may be attracted to the same flower. Here you see a beetle on the thistle.

What pollination syndromes attract which pollinators?

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Wasps are attracted to flowers from which they can get nectar easily.

Beetles are attracted to flowers that are white or green and have a wide opening.

Butterflies like red, yellow, or orange.

Hummingbirds are attracted to orange, yellow or red flowers.

Bats like flowers that are large and white or pale in color.

Moths are attracted by sweet-scented flowers that are usually large and white or pale.

Flies can be found on flowers of many colors, usually those that give easy access to nectar.

Wasps are attracted to flowers from which they can get nectar easily.

Beetles are attracted to flowers that are white or green and have a wide opening.

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Pollinators are important because they facilitate reproduction in 90% of the world's flowering plants. That means that we humans are dependent upon pollinators to aid reproduction of the plants that we eat. Without pollinators, humans would starve.

The seemingly insignificant cluster of flowers is part of complex interrelationships of plants and pollinators.

Nancy AlexanderPhotography