Flowers are advertisements armed with reproductive equipment.
Some send glaring signals noticed by innocent bystanders such as ourselves and are admired or imitated by painters, poets, and perfumers. Because we appreciate the colors, forms and fragrances of some flowers, we think we have gotten the message. In fact, much of the communication between plants and animals is easily missed, the code broken only by botanists and ecologists devoted to deciphering information intended for insects and birds. Every flower species you encounter is worthy of contemplation. On your next wildflower-watching expedition, get close to your subject, whether or not you know its name, and try to read its messages.