Many people are tempted to pick beautiful flowers when they casually come across them outside. Next time that temptation strikes, think again and remember all the ways that flowers help the environment. Not only are they a wonderful aesthetic accent, they also contribute to sustaining the environment just like trees and other plants. Take a look at these five ways that flowers benefit the environment.
Predicting climate change
Flowers frequently blossom at the start of the spring season. In Southern England, collections remain of pressed flowers that were picked as early as the mid-19th century. The exact dates they were picked were identified in accordance with blooming at the start of spring. What ecologists have noticed from the studied patterns is that earlier years of flowering were associated with warmer years. These years were identified with higher average temperatures. Based on these findings, studies continue on flowers concerning climate change because they consistently bloom according to the warm spring temperatures.
Reducing pollution
Just like all plants, flowers contribute to the recycling of carbon dioxide and producing oxygen. Because we emit so much excess carbon into the air, flowers are a vital part of the ecosystem in maintaining the flow of elements for all living things. Indoor pollution has also become a big problem in some areas, and flowers are the choice plants to bring inside and clean the air. Good flowers for this purpose include mums, peace lilies, and reed palms.
Keeping away pests
Flowering plants are an important part of keeping healthy gardens and lawns. There are many insects that can do harm to other flowers and vegetable or fruit plants, but some flowers are able to repel the harmful insects with their scents. A few examples of these helpful plants are marigolds, geraniums, and lavender and are used at many of the hotels in Carmel, CA. These flowers are neither harmful to your pets or your children, so they do nothing but sustain your beautiful gardens.
Pollinating and growth
In the mutual relationships they have with other species, flowers require pollination to bloom. When birds and bees help pollinate flowers, they get food while transferring pollen among plants. As the flowers mature, they produce many seeds that birds collect for food and nectar that bees collect for making honey. Without the many flowers, animal and insect species would be without food and other necessities for shelter and healthy lives.
Sustaining the environment
Plants contribute greatly to environmental sustainability because of the diversity that they create and provide for. If flowers no longer existed, the many species that depend on them would disappear and animals higher up in the food chain would be without food. Flowers exist purely without assistance in their native environments, and therefore chemical usage is not required to maintain a beneficial flowering ecosystem.
Next time you see someone picking a flower, approach them and find out if they really know all the ways flowers help us and the environment. Share with them how flowers contribute to predicting climate change, reducing pollution, and maintaining the interactions of species in the ecosystem. Make it a personal priority to make the world more beautiful by planting flowers, and you will feel better about the complicated, yet wonderful world we live in.
