Tag: dispersal

Despite this planet we live on being largely blue, when it comes to plants, we don’t see a lot of the colour. Violets are blue, sure, as are blueberries (it’s right there in the name). But roses are red, and daisies are yellow, and the leafy bits of plants, for the most part – tend to be green. Blue, as it happens, is just not the easiest colour for plants to make. So most of them simply don’t bother.

But a common mediterannean plant, Viburnum tinus, makes blue fruits that are so vibrant and shiny, that would make Eiffel 65 sit up and listen (da bu dee da bu dai), could induce Australian bower birds to flock from the other side of the world (if only they knew), and could make old Mickey Blue eyes* wonder if he was really so special after all.… Read more