Night-blooming flowers have pale colors to better reflect the light of the moon and stars in order to attract nocturnal pollinators such as moths and beetles.
Nocturnal flowers often possess very specific pigments, generally flavonoids and certain types of anthocyanins, which give pale, whitish, or very light cream shades. These pigments absorb little visible light, giving them that pale appearance that is ultra-practical for being seen at night by their pollinators. Unlike daytime flowers that use bright-colored carotenoids, nocturnal flowers prefer to opt for discretion with much less intense colors, which are super effective for being easily spotted in the dark by moths or bats.
Nocturnal flowers often have light or white hues because they need to be easily spotted in the dark by pollinators that come out mainly at night: primarily moths, certain bats, or other nocturnal insects. These insects and animals have vision adapted to low light, but paradoxically, they struggle to distinguish bright colors. Therefore, having a pale color is a real advantage: it makes the flower stand out under the faint light of the stars and the moon. Some nocturnal flowers go even further by developing a powerful and sweet fragrance that perfectly complements their subtle color, attracting pollinators from afar and making their task of locating them easier.
Moonlight is very weak and produces little visual contrast. As a result, having pale or white colors helps nocturnal flowers to be more visible even in the dim light. Under the diffuse moonlight, these light colors stand out easily, especially for nocturnal insects. Some flowers have even developed slightly reflective surfaces, enhancing their visibility through a subtle luminous effect, somewhat like a reflective sign. There is no need for garish colors; the moon is enough to reveal their location to nighttime pollinators.
Cooler nighttime temperatures directly affect the production of pigments in the petals. Generally, the synthesis of intense colored pigments requires some warmth and light energy. At night, as it is cooler and darker, this process naturally slows down. As a result, night-blooming flowers often display paler and softer colors, with fewer colored pigments such as anthocyanins (which are responsible for bright colors like red, purple, or blue). Certain enzymes responsible for these pigments become less effective at low temperatures, further reducing their nighttime production. These soft hues then become typical of night-blooming flowers.
Daytime flowers often display bold colors like bright yellow, vibrant red, or deep blue, which are ideal for attracting the attention of insects and birds that spend the day foraging. In contrast, nighttime flowers rely on pale hues such as white, cream, or a very soft pink, because at night, loud colors go unnoticed. Since there is almost no light, there is no point in wasting energy producing costly colored pigments. Instead, they focus on subtle pigments that can better reflect moonlight, making them visible from a distance to their nocturnal pollinators.
Nocturnal pollinating insects, such as moths and certain bats, have a strong preference for pale or white colors that stand out better against the surrounding darkness.
The Queen of the Night (Selenicereus grandiflorus), a nocturnal flowering cactus, produces spectacular flowers that only remain open for a single night, making its observation rare and precious.
The pale colors of night flowers enhance their visibility under moonlight and allow them to be better perceived by moths that have vision adapted to low light conditions.
Some night-blooming flowers, such as the four o'clock (Mirabilis jalapa), emit a particularly intense fragrance during the night to attract pollinating insects that rely more on their sense of smell than on sight.
The pigments found in nocturnal flowers are often different or present in smaller quantities than those in daytime flowers. The reduction of certain bright pigments allows nocturnal flowers to achieve their pale shades and thus optimize their visibility at night.
Nocturnal pollinators mainly include moths, certain species of bats, and nocturnal insects. These animals prefer the night to avoid their predators and often use smell and contrasting visual cues rather than bright colors to identify flowers.
Many night-blooming flowers indeed open at dusk and close in the morning, adopting a circadian rhythm suited to the presence of their specific pollinators that are active during these times.
Nocturnal flowers generally display pale colors to maximize the reflection of available light at night, particularly that of the moon or stars, making them much more visible to their pollinators that are active in these low-light conditions.
Nocturnal flowers often produce strong scents to effectively attract their pollinators, such as moths, bats, or insects, which rely more on their sense of smell than their sight at night.
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