Uploaded March 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
A Western Honey Bee (Apis mellifera) uncovers pollen by depressing the keel petals of Texas Bluebonnet (Lupinus texensis) flowers at Buffalo Bayou Park, in Houston, TX, USA.
It's thought that Bluebonnets enclose pollen in their keel petals to protect it from insects that would be ineffective pollinators. Bees must be large and robust enough to be able to push down the keel petals with their weight. The banner petals of new flowers have a white spot that attracts Bees; as the flowers age, the spot turns dark red, which Bees ignore.
A Western Honey Bee (Apis mellifera) uncovers pollen by depressing the keel petals of Texas Bluebonnet (Lupinus texensis) flowers at Buffalo Bayou Park, in Houston, TX, USA.
It's thought that Bluebonnets enclose pollen in their keel petals to protect it from insects that would be ineffective pollinators. Bees must be large and robust enough to be able to push down the keel petals with their weight. The banner petals of new flowers have a white spot that attracts Bees; as the flowers age, the spot turns dark red, which Bees ignore.
