In mature plants, flower buds can form on mature wood in late summer to bloom the following spring, or on the current season's growth to bloom later in the summer. The basic purpose of a flower is reproduction. Most plants have complete flowers that have both male and female parts and so are capable of producing fruits. Dioecious plants, such as holly and bittersweet, have either all male or all female flowers on a single plant. Both male and female plants must be grown in close proximity to ensure fruit production.
Monoecious plants produce male and female flowers on the same plant.
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