This time of year yards are filled with the sounds of an awakening spring season. Birds are chirping, insects are buzzing and critters start making their presence known.  Varying shades of green and brightly colored vegetation are arriving on the scene. It’s a festival for the senses, but make no mistake, all this activity isn’t just for entertainment value. There is some serious stuff taking place amidst all the “buzz.”

Millions of species inhabit Earth, and because all these different species often live in the same spaces, they must share or compete for the same resources. In the world of flowers, a vital resource is the insect pollinator. With an estimated 250,000 to 400,000 flowering species, the competition to attract an insect pollinator is fierce. Similar to how some humans will go to great lengths to get the attention of the opposite sex, so do flowers when it comes to courting the insects necessary to keep the flower family going. Generally speaking, flowers employ the characteristics of showy petals and sepals, offers of food in the form of nectar or pollen, nectar guides, appealing scents and the gamut of colors to attract insect pollinators. Evolution, however, has changed the game for some flower species, creating floral outliers that do things just a bit differently. When it comes to “luring” the popular pollinators, these floral outliers do so by means of deception. Seeing as flowers can’t don a wig, put on stylish clothes or get plastic surgery, how then do these sneaky species deceive?

Before heading down that road, let’s back up for a moment and have a refresher course in flower biology and anatomy.(No eye-rolls, please.) In plant taxonomy, flowering plants are known as angiosperms or magnoliophyta. They are vascular seed plants in which the ovule (egg) is fertilized and develops into a seed in a hollow ovary usually enclosed in a flower whose function is to ensure fertilization of the ovule.  A flower may contain both male and female reproductive orgas, or it may have only one or the other. The male reproductive organs are called stamens, which are a stalk or filament that supports the pollen-producing anther. The female reproductive organs, which are collectively called the pistil, consist of the ovary, where ovules are produced, and the style with its sticky surface on top called the stigma.

In angiosperms, pollination is defined as the placement or transfer of pollen from the anther to the stigma of the same flower or another flower. Pollination takes two forms: self-pollination and cross-pollination. If a flower has both male and female reproductive organs, it is referred to as bi-sexual, and it self-pollinates by a mechanism in which the anther opens up and the pollen lands on the stigma of the same flower or another flower on the same plant. This method of pollination does not require an investment from the plant to provide nectar and/or pollen as food to attract pollinators. For flowers containing only one set of reproductive organs, a pollinator (wind, water, animals, birds, or insects) is required to transfer pollen from the anther of one flower to the stigma of another flower on a different plant of the same species, a method known as cross-pollination.

Living species are designed to ensure the survival of their progeny, and those that fail become extinct. Genetic diversity is essential to a species in a changing environment or under stressful conditions. Progeny as a result of self-pollination have less genetic diversity since the same genetic material is being used time and time again. Cross-pollination has the opposite effect. It leads to greater genetic diversity because the offspring are created from genetic material of different plants within the same species. Clearly, cross-pollinators stand a better chance of being around for the long haul. A savvy cross-pollinating flower knows it has to have “the right stuff” in order to get the pollinators to come hang out with it long enough to get all covered in its pollen before flying off to hopefully another flower of its kind for a pollen transfer.

As mentioned earlier, flowers have some standard characteristics used for attracting insect pollinators, but what if those fail? Maybe a flower’s petals aren’t showy enough to get an insect’s attention or perhaps an insect doesn’t have a palate for pollen or nectar? Oh, no, what’s a flower to do?

With the help of evolution, some flower species upped the ante with shenanigans when it comes to attracting those discriminating insect pollinators.  Some flowers, unabashed in their deviousness, mimic the smell of the food, such as coconut, or even rotting meat, that certain picky eater insects want. And, if tricking by way of food to get attention doesn’t work, the promise of sex probably will. Some flower species have evolved to resemble female versions of certain insects, a strategy known as insect mimicry. Perhaps the cleverest and most effective deception technique of all for these sneaky Pete flowers is to look the part of a desired insect mate. Orchids are the most notorious species for this type of pseudo-sex promise, a strategy that allows the species to spread its genes widely and works nearly perfectly for them. Case in point, the Australian hammer orchid has taken advantage of  the thynnid wasp’s mating ritual which consists of a female wasp waiting on top of a branch or plant for a male to spot her.  The hammer orchid’s flower mimics a female thynnid wasp, complete with a fake shiny head and furry body, as though sitting on a branch, looking upward waiting to be spotted by a male. But wait, the deception continues. It’s not enough to just look like a female wasp, the orchid even releases an enticing scent similar to the female wasp pheromone. Poor fellow, he doesn’t stand a chance. When the male wasp tries to mate with the dummy female, he fails, but the orchid succeeds in a big way by getting its pollen on the wasp. He flies away only to be duped again by another hammer orchid pulling the same trick. In this process, the wasp transfers pollen from flower to flower.

But, to  give the male wasp  some credit, when a real thynnid female wasp is next to the orchid mimic, the male wasp spots the real deal immediately. Because the impostor can’t ultimately win against the true female wasp, it is here where natural selection has favored the flowers that bloom during the period when male thynnid wasps are flying, but the females have yet to emerge.

Although not as consistent across all flowers in the species, the South African daisy also employs pseudo-sex trickery, but the insect it chooses to mimic is the fly. Petal colors in this species range from pale yellow to bright red-orange, and some petals have spots that form a circle around the flower’s center. There is great variety in the appearance of these flowers. In some, the spots on the petals have transformed into green-black bumps that to a fly look exactly like its female mate awaiting seductively upon the petals. Male flies don’t stay long on flowers with simple spots, but the insect Don Juans are most definitely convinced by these fake flies, ultimately spending more time trying to mate, and in the process getting more and more covered in pollen to either transfer to another flower or rubbing off more and more pollen onto the flower, helping to pollinate it.

Talk about masters of disguise, these floral outliers of fake foodies and fake mates have indeed gone to the top spot when it comes to getting what they want! Hopefully this article offered a different kind of perspective when it comes to flowers and their relationship with insect pollinators. With that next walk in nature, take not only a moment to smell the roses, but also notice the “attraction” characteristics across the varieties of flowers and see if any flowers are “buzzing” with insect pollinator activity.

by JD Harper
JD Harper is a local author. GLINT, her debut novel, is set in Chattanooga amid its rich Civil War history and rock climbing culture. You can email her at [email protected]. ​

We moved to Signal Mountain in wintertime, leaving a garden I’d lovingly cultivated for 14 years back in Mississippi. It was a bleak time to arrive, botanically speaking, and moving to a newly built home meant there would be no perennials to brighten the landscape in the spring. By the time we had settled in, however, I was greeted by a soul-soothing surprise: Tennessee had different wildflowers! Not just different, but seemingly more and a greater variety too.
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Cheerful ox-eye daisies lined both sides of Taft Highway starting in late spring. The unfortunately-named daisy fleabane popped up on roadsides and in our backyard soon after. This is the tiny “daisy-like” flower with fringed petals, in shades of white and the palest lavender. It is often called a weed, but it serves as a valuable resource for pollinators when most plants are still waking up from winter.

As summer rolled around, I was awed by the profusion of butterfly weed on the side of the road. One of many milkweeds native to Tennessee, this variety is brilliant orange with large clusters of tiny flowers. The same habitat supports the golden-yellow coreopsis and the first state wildflower, the passionflower. (The Tennessee echinacea, a type of coneflower, is the second state wildflower.)

Passionflowers are otherworldly in their complexity, yet easy to miss because their vines often sprawl across the ground. Another summer wildflower that is easy to miss is the fire pink, which is actually red. This magical little flower is often found on the border of woodlands.

The forests around Chattanooga boast unique flowers as well, many in bush form. Mountain laurels, rhododendrons, and sweet shrubs bloom into early summer. A little later, you can’t miss the smooth hydrangeas on the blue loop at Shackleford Ridge Park. The cream-colored blooms have a more delicate appearance than the “mophead” hydrangeas many of us have in our yards.

A very unusual shrub that I first saw at Big Soddy Gulf is the strawberry bush. Unfortunately, it doesn’t produce anything a human would want to eat, but it’s still fun to behold when the claw-like pods open in early fall, revealing bright red seeds.

Very tall wildflowers deserve a category of their own. Seemingly oblivious to the broken thermostat of peak summer, joe pye weed and ironweed shoot up through the crispy grass. Joe pye weed can grow 6-8 feet tall and has light pink flowers. (There is a slightly shorter version for home gardeners on the market.) Ironweed has deep purple flowers.

Both are often seen near goldenrod in bloom. If the mere mention of goldenrod makes you sneeze, take heart that it is probably not the cause of your pain. Usually, ragweed is the real culprit when goldenrod is blamed.

Goldenrod is a pollinator powerhouse; I saw an uncountable number of bees enjoying goldenrod along the Guild Trail on Lookout Mountain last fall. Next time it pops up in your flowerbed, consider keeping it around!
Jewelweed and cardinal flower (or lobelia) are two other late summer flowers for your checklist. Jewelweed is orange with red spots, and what looks like a tiny orange gnome’s hat on the back of the bloom. Cardinal flower is red and dramatic, with fringe-like petals on a spire.

These wildflowers are a small sample of the natural bounty of our state. If you would like to see many in one place, McCoy Farms has a beautiful garden including many native species. You can also consider adding wildflowers to your own yard. Reflection Riding has a dedicated native plants nursery, and Signal Mountain Nursery sells a large selection of native plants as well.

Wherever you find wildflowers this summer, may they bring you the same happiness they brought me our first year in Tennessee.

by Ginger Gibson

Some of us are fastidious about the way our yards look, while some of us keep ordered chaos, and others of us just keep the grass cut. I keep ordered chaos with a small bit of grass in the front yard and open turf in the back. In my front yard, I use loads of native plants, which provide fuel for our native wildlife that I so love and enjoy watching. I have birdhouses and feeders to encourage nesting and feeding. I also supply simple water sources. With all the trees and shrubs in my yard and one of Signal’s great parks across the street, there’s lots of shelter. I do not rake my leaves away in the fall; instead I pile them into my natural areas, providing excellent habitat for lots of beneficial insects. I also try to use only natural pesticides and weed killers.

These simple and easy things meet the requirements to certify your yard with the National Wildlife Federation as a Certified Wildlife Habitat®. I bet you didn’t know how simple it is!

Do you have all the things you need to get your certification? Do you need to make a few changes? Making simple changes toward this goal will absolutely enhance your yard, attract more wildlife and make the neighborhood more attractive and valuable to our native wildlife, which in turn brings all the benefits they provide. It’s a win-win!

Getting your National Wildlife Federation Wildlife Habitat certification is super easy! Just follow this link,
https://www.nwf.org/Garden-for-Wildlife/Certify, and fill out the form. You can also Google search “National Wildlife Federation certify.”

On the National Wildlife Federation website, you can find information regarding native wildlife and plants in addition to a checklist to help you determine if your yard meets the requirements. A water source seems to be a barrier for some people, but don’t let this deter you. You can put down a basin, pan or other receptacle to hold water or set up a birdbath. This certification is not complicated, in fact it’s quite easy and a one-time deal. It’s not legally binding - just a good faith conservation effort.

On a larger scale, a group of Signal Mountain residents are making an effort to certify the entire 37377 zip code as a Certified Community Wildlife Habitat® with the National Wildlife Federation. It sounds like a massive undertaking, but it’s fairly simple. We are already making great progress toward the goal, but we need your help! 


Certify your yard and help spread the word about our effort. Points for certification are earned for yards, parks, schools, churches, businesses and public spaces that meet the requirements and are registered. The size of the land does not matter. Certifying your yard creates a direct impact toward the accumulation of the points needed. Don’t forget to ask your neighbors to do the same! If you live in a neighborhood with an HOA, let us know and we can send information to help with the process. Thrasher Elementary School has joined our effort  by educating third-grders about habitats and their importance in our environment. The children are building trails, enhancing existing habitats and learning about the value of food, shelter and water to our wildlife neighbors.

So what’s the big deal? Why is certifying your yard as a wildlife habitat so important?

Well, it’s simple. Without wildlife, our environment becomes unhealthy, and when our environment is unhealthy, we humans are unhealthy. Wildlife holds the pulse of our environment by performing so many jobs for us that we don’t even consider - it keeps ecological balance. The least we can do is provide their basic needs - food, shelter and water in exchange for the massive amount of good wildlife provides. Pollinators literally are keeping humans alive as they pollinate the plants that produce our food. And remember, when you provide life needs for a chipmunk, you’re not only helping him, but you’re helping his predators. 

Rethink how you view your yard. Don’t focus on the aesthetics of it, focus on the ecological function - the natural processes, products or services that it provides or performs for species and ecosystems.

With so many habitats being damaged, reduced or eliminated, it’s imperative we provide these critical refuges for resident and migratory species. “With habitats dwindling, every habitat garden is a step toward replenishing vital resources for wildlife.” National Wildlife Federation.

The National Wildlife Federation’s website states, “America’s experience with cherished landscapes and wildlife has helped define and shape our national character and identity for generations. Protecting these natural resources is a cause that has long united Americans from all walks of life and political stripes. To hunters, anglers, hikers, birders, wildlife watchers, boaters, climbers, campers, cyclists, gardeners, farmers, forest stewards, and other outdoor enthusiasts, this conservation ethic represents a sacred duty and obligation to protect and build upon our conservation heritage for the sake of wildlife, ourselves, our neighbors, and, most of all, for future generations.”

We are so blessed to live on Signal Mountain with a vibrant community spirit and fabulous wild spaces. Help us celebrate them!

Join us for a kickoff meeting to learn more about this effort to certify the entire 37377 zip code as a National Wildlife Federation Community Wildlife Habitat® at the Mountain Arts Community Center (MACC) on July 29 at 9:30AM. Stop by and let us answer your questions. 

Questions? Contact me at [email protected].

by Tish Gailmard