Nanz & Kraft Florists simply can’t thank bees enough. These multi-tasking powerhouses are responsible for pollinating 90 commercially grown crops and over 80% of all flowering plants. Together, plants and bees have adapted and evolved for millions of years each to the benefit of the other, refining their symbiotic relationship over time like the most successful romances do. We’re taking a minute to honor the work of bees by showing off one of their favorite flowers.

Sunflowers certainly enchant us, but they are incredibly enticing to bees. Why? They understand how bees see and make a strong visual appeal to them. Unable to perceive red, bees can see ultraviolet light, so purple, blue, white and yellow are colors they are drawn to. Sunflowers also offer a kind of guidance system by having petals that contrast with their deep large center; bees know exactly where to go to be rewarded with pollen. Our Sassy Sunflowers might as well be called Clever Sunflowers.

When bees alight on sunflowers and begin taking in nectar, they brush up against pollen, which sticks to them. When they flit off to the next flower, they bring that pollen with them, dusting it with the genetic material it needs to make seeds. Eventually, a bee will bring home nectar and pollen to convert into honey and bee bread. Everybody wins in the romance between flowers and bees, including us.