Pick the Pollinator Trivia Quiz

Answer: Bee

Lavender, which is a garden favourite, attracts lots of pollinators. With its lovely scent and vibrant purple spikes, it draws in bees, butterflies and moths. These visitors are busy transferring pollen from bloom to bloom, helping lavender reproduce through cross-pollination, which boosts its seed production and genetic diversity.

Bees, especially honeybees and bumblebees, are the main pollinators, sipping nectar and spreading pollen as they go. Butterflies flutter between flowers, while moths sneak in during twilight hours to keep pollination going after dark.

Answer: Hummingbird

The trumpet vine (Campsis radicans) has clusters of bright orange-red, trumpet-shaped flowers that bloom through summer and into autumn. It is a vigorous climber, fast-growing, self-clinging, and capable of covering walls, fences, or pergolas. However, it can be a bit of a garden rebel, spreading aggressively if not kept in check.

Its main pollinator is the hummingbird. The tubular-shaped flowers fit its long beak perfectly, allowing it to sip nectar while brushing against the flower's pollen. Bees crawl inside, guided by the flower's yellow throat, and butterflies alight to taste the nectar. These pollinators help transfer pollen from flower to flower, ensuring the vine produces seeds and thrives.

Answer: Butterfly

Milkweed (Asclepias spp.) is a wildflower with a secret life. Its pink or purple flower clusters may look simple, but they're actually complex traps designed to challenge and reward pollinators. Each flower has hidden chambers and sticky sacs of pollen called pollinia, which only certain insects can unlock.

Monarch butterflies are the plant's most famous fans, not just for nectar, but because milkweed is the only food their caterpillars can eat. Adult monarchs sip nectar from the flowers while laying eggs on the leaves. They're not the only visitors, though, because bees, wasps, and large beetles also try their luck, often getting their legs caught in the flower's tiny slits. If they're strong enough, they pull free, carrying the pollinia to the next bloom. It's a risky business. Some insects get stuck and die, but those that succeed help the plant reproduce.

Answer: Wind

Cattails (Typha spp.) are tall, reed-like plants that thrive in wetlands, pond edges, and marshes. Their appearance comes from the brown, sausage-shaped flower spikes that rise above their long, blade-like leaves. These spikes are actually two flowers in one, as the male flowers sit on top and release pollen, while the female flowers form the thick lower part that eventually turns into fluffy seed heads.

Unlike many flowering plants, cattails don't rely on bees or butterflies. Their pollinator is the wind. Around midsummer, the male flowers burst with yellow pollen, which drifts down or across the marshes to reach the female flowers. Once pollination is done, the male part withers and falls away, leaving the female spike to mature into a cottony mass of seeds that float off on the breeze.

Answer: Bee

Foxglove (Digitalis purpurea) is a tall, striking plant with bell-shaped flowers stacked like a tower. It's a favourite in cottage gardens, but behind its beauty lies a clever design. Each tubular bloom is like a velvet tunnel, lined with speckled markings that attract its main pollinator which is the bumblebee.

These bees are strong and fuzzy, perfect for squeezing into the flower's narrow throat. As they reach for nectar deep inside, their backs brush against the flower's pollen-covered anthers. It's a snug fit, and that's no accident. Foxgloves have evolved to match the size and behaviour of bumblebees, ensuring that only the right visitor gets the reward.

Answer: Hummingbird

Red Columbine is a native North American wildflower which has red outer petals which flare backwards into long nectar-filled spurs, while the yellow inner petals dangle like tiny lanterns. These blooms appear in spring, often just in time for the return of ruby-throated hummingbirds, who rely on the nectar to fuel their long migration from Central America.

The flower's shape is a perfect fit for a hummingbird's beak. As the bird dives in for nectar, its head brushes the flower's reproductive parts, transferring pollen from one bloom to another. Small insects sometimes cheat by nibbling holes in the spurs to steal nectar without helping the plant.

Answer: Bee

The sunflower (Helianthus annuus) is a tall giant in the garden. What looks like a single flower is actually a dense cluster of tiny blooms called disc florets, each capable of producing a seed. Surrounding them are the bright yellow ray florets, which lure in pollinators.

Bees, especially bumblebees and honeybees, are the sunflower's VIP guests. They dive into the central disc for nectar and get dusted with pollen, which they carry to other florets or nearby sunflowers. Butterflies, beetles, and even moths join the party too, helping with both cross-pollination and self-pollination.

Answer: Bee

In the wild, the vanilla orchid (Vanilla planifolia) has a very picky partner, which is a tiny bee called the Melipona, native to Mexico. This bee is the only known insect that naturally pollinates the flower, performing a delicate manoeuvre to bypass a hidden flap that shields the orchid's reproductive parts.

However, outside its native habitat, that bee is missing. So, unless the flower is pollinated by hand, it won't produce vanilla pods. That's why nearly all commercial vanilla is still pollinated manually, using a tiny stick or tool to lift the flap and press the pollen into place.

This method was discovered in the 1800s by Edmond Albius, a young enslaved boy on Réunion Island, whose technique is still used today. Without his ingenuity, vanilla farming outside Mexico might never have taken off.

Answer: Moth

Evening Primrose (Oenothera biennis) is a wildflower which waits until dusk to unfurl its yellow, cup-shaped blooms. These release a sweet scent into the air. It is native to North America but now found in gardens across the UK and beyond. It thrives in poor soils and open spaces, often growing tall and lanky.

Its nighttime opening is strategic, because moths, especially nocturnal ones, are its primary pollinators, drawn by the fragrance and pale colour that glows in low light. These pollinators transfer pollen from one flower to another, helping the plant produce seeds that float away on the wind.

Answer: Wind

Cottonwood trees (Populus spp.) are towering and fast-growing, often found near rivers and wetlands. They have fluttering, heart-shaped leaves that shimmer in the breeze, and in spring, they release clouds of fluffy seeds that drift like summer snow. But before that spectacle, something quieter happens, which is pollination.

Pollinated by the wind, cottonwoods are dioecious, meaning male and female flowers grow on separate trees. The male trees produce long, drooping catkins packed with lightweight pollen. When spring winds blow, they scatter this pollen far and wide, hoping it lands on a female flower's sticky stigma. It's a gamble, but one that works surprisingly well across vast landscapes.

Answer: Hummingbird

Scarlet Gilia, often nicknamed 'Skyrocket', is a wildflower which has slender, trumpet-shaped blooms. These burst in shades of red, pink, or white and shoot upward on tall stalks. Native to the western U.S., it thrives in dry, rocky soils and mountain meadows, often blooming from late spring into summer.

Hummingbirds are the primary pollinators. They are drawn to its vivid red flowers, which match their keen colour vision and long beaks. They hover and sip nectar, brushing pollen from flower to flower. Later in the season, the plant shifts gears when its blooms fade to pale pink or white, attracting moths with long tongues and a taste for nectar. This clever colour change helps Scarlet Gilia reach different pollinators across its bloom cycle.

Answer: Bee

Dandelions (Taraxacum officinale) are often dismissed as weeds, but they're actually hardy flowering plants with a flair for survival. Their bright yellow blooms are made up of dozens of tiny florets, each capable of producing a seed. Once the flower fades, it transforms into a puffball of seeds that float away on the breeze.

When it comes to pollinators, bees, especially honeybees and native solitary bees, are frequent visitors. Dandelions offer both nectar and pollen, making them a valuable food source in early spring when few other flowers are blooming. Though their pollen isn't the most nutritious, it helps fill the gap until richer sources appear. Butterflies and beetles may also drop by, but bees are the main guests.