What causes flowers to have different colors? (2024)

FAQs

What causes flowers to have different colors? ›

Like humans, flowers inherit their appearance from genes. Pigments are “born” into these plants, producing a range of colors across the spectrum. The same chemical, carotenoid, that produces pigment in tomatoes and carrots, also produces yellow, red, or orange color in certain flowers.

Color changes can occur from any of the following; an accumulation or loss of anthocyanins, accumulation or loss of carotenoids, or an accumulation of betalains. Floral color change may also be caused by an increase or decrease in pH causing a reddening/blueing of anthocyanins and co-pigments.

Plants gain their coloration from the way that pigments within their cells interact with sunlight. Chlorophyll comprises the most important class of these pigments and is responsible for the green color associated with many types of plants.

Flowers come in many colors and many forms. One often overlooked type are flowers that feature more than one color. Bicolor blooms come in a myriad of types and in almost every color under the rainbow.

So flowers began to evolve these amazing colors along with great sense as well to attract insects. So those beautiful colors are really all about bringing pollinators to your flower so that you can distribute your pollen and reproduce.

Like humans, flowers inherit their appearance from genes. Pigments are “born” into these plants, producing a range of colors across the spectrum. The same chemical, carotenoid, that produces pigment in tomatoes and carrots, also produces yellow, red, or orange color in certain flowers.

Flower color is the result of pigment molecules accumulating in cells, but it's not as simple as just making pigment. The location, type of pigment, and amount produced, are all very important. These aspects are genetically controlled.

The most common pigments in flowers come in the form of anthocyanins. These pigments range in color from white to red to blue to yellow to purple and even black and brown. A different kind of pigment class is made up of the carotenoids. Carotenoids are responsible for some yellows, oranges, and reds.

Some flowers have natural black markings, such as Clock Vine, but true all black flowers don't exist because there isn't a compound found in plants that can make a true black.

The color of a rose comes from the pigments in its petals. Primarily, these pigments are anthocyanins and carotenoids. Carotenoids produce the bright yellow, orange, and red pigments such as you would find in lemons, oranges, and tomatoes.

What is the rarest color of flower? ›

Did you know that blue is the rarest flower color? Brandon George, graduate student in Public Garden Leadership at Cornell University, takes an in-depth talk on the color blue, why it is so rare in the plant world, and some tips for displaying it in a garden.

The rainbow rose is a rose that has had its petals artificially colored. The method exploits the rose natural processes by which water is drawn up the stem. By splitting the stem and dipping each part in different colored water, the colors are drawn into the petals resulting in a multicolored rose.

These changes are common and may be the result of cross pollination, pH levels, or just a natural response to different environmental cues. When a plant shows change in color of flower, it is an interesting development. The chemistry behind flower color is often the culprit.

Bicoloured flowers are most common in plants that have been highly bred such as camellias, dahlias, roses and tulips. This often happens because the genes for flower colour in these plants can be quite unstable. This instability can also produce indiscriminate blotching and streaking of flowers.

So when conditions change or an acid or base is added to the petal, it will change color. These pigments of course have their own special names. For purple, these pigments that produce the purple coloration are anthocyanins, member of the flavonoid group. Whereas for yellow, the pigments are carotenoids.

The amount of light flowers receive while they grow, the temperature of the environment around them, even the pH level of the soil in which they grow can affect their coloration. Another factor is stress from the environment.

Chlorophyll Breaks Down

But in the fall, because of changes in the length of daylight and changes in temperature, the leaves stop their food-making process. The chlorophyll breaks down, the green color disappears, and the yellow to orange colors become visible and give the leaves part of their fall splendor.

It is not unusual for roses to "change color." A minor change occurs when cooler weather intensifies pink-to-red shades, or age and hot weather fade them. Knock Out 'Blushing' rose flowers, for example, are medium pink in cool springs like this and in fall, but a washed-out, nearly-white in summer.