Eastern Columbine and Forget-Me-Nots

Eastern columbine flowers are a beautiful example of how interconnected the environment is. They have been evolving for centuries to cope with the vast amount of pollinators available. Developing nectar spurs with lengths that align perfectly with the tongues of their pollinating counterparts. Many pollinators are shifting geographically to cope with the changing climate and some species of columbine, plants are still evolving to counteract this movement (Whittall and Hodges 2007). In some ways, Eastern columbine can be viewed as a symbol of resilience and an acceptor of change. Although the changing climate is not something to be celebrated, the plasticity of these flowers is quite remarkable. Forget-me-nots flowers are known to remember the temperature cycles in their environments. By sensing the typical changes in temperature, these flowers can adjust their chemical signals to only fire when the temperature is perfect for flowering (Zhongming et al. 2018). With the discovery of this capability, scientists can further understand how plants accommodate to changes.