Some interesting research came out last year showing how plants are adapting to increased temperatures and decreased ozone by changing the amount of UV pigment in their petals. Unfortunately, us humans cannot detect changes in pigmentation the UV spectrum but pollinators are attracted to these UV patterns. The UV pigments protect the flowers’ pollen from the damaging effects of UV radiation by increasing its absorption to prevent radiation from damaging sensitive cells. The UV pigments act sort of like a sunscreen.

The study found that overall UV pigment increased by about approximately 2% per year from 1941-2017; however, the changes varied according to species. For species with exposed anthers at locations with the largest declines in UV-protective ozone, UV pigmentation increased dramatically to compensate. For species with anthers hidden inside petals, UV pigmentation declined as temperature increased (so that they would absorb less radiation). This keeps the pollen from over-cooking inside the petals. There is concern about the implications of these changes on flower reproduction through pollination.

This recent study has found an association between changes in anthocyanin-based (red, purple, blue, black pigments) colors in flowers and changes in climate. Anthocyanins are a type of flavonoid, and have antioxidant effects. Specifically, species in areas where temperatures have increased the most, show decreases in anthocyanin pigmentation, while species in areas that have become more arid have shown increases in anthocyanin pigmentation. This has potential repercussions on flower reproduction.