The Case of the Baffling BLOOM BLACK
The case of the baffling black bloom starte with one question: Is there such a thing as a black flower? Not one bred to be black, but one that is black by nature. The question so intrigued Rob Nicholson, conservatory manager of the Smith College Botanic Garden in Northampton, Massachusetts, that when he heard reports of the blackest flower in the world, he had to pursue it.
As a botanist, Nicholson knows that black flowers are extremely rare. Flowers have evolved to be brightly colored to attract pollinators. An all-black flower would be nearly invisible to them. If such a flower existed, it would raise many questions. How do its pollinators find
