The bright yellow flowers of Canadian Goldenrod, Solidago canadensis, contrasts brilliantly with the purple of the New England Aster, Symphotrichum novae-angliae, and since purple and yellow are complimentary colours on opposite side of the colorwheel, they appeal very nicely to the cones in our eyes that perceive purples and yellow, and have thus become a quintessential attraction within these grasslands at this time of year.
Many pollinators of these species are also attracted to these colours, notably bees, who have trichromatic vision that sees a different spectrum of light than we do. On the high end of the spectrum, bees can’t see red, but they can see yellow to purple, and even into ultraviolet light. These petals also have patterns on them which are only visible in the UV spectrum, known as nectar guides, that are specially tailored to pollinators.
Together, these two plant species have co-evolved to appeal to their favourite pollinators, and when these they grow together, they have higher pollination rates that not only helps further their genetic success, but makes for more efficient pollen collection for the bees, which is a good thing for all others who depend on them. So in other words, these different flowers have evolved to work together along with the bees to create a system of mutual flourishing in which they all are able to thrive together, and in the process, these relationships create healthy, diverse ecosystems that allows all sorts of other non-human people to thrive, and knowing all of this just makes this pretty sight even prettier, don’t ya think?
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