Nectar (Nectary)

Plants produce nectar to attract and reward animals that do essential services for them.

Nectar is produced from a gland called a nectary. The nectary takes sugars that the plant has developed through photosynthesis and secretes them in a water-based solution. This rich food is essential to many bees, butterflies, insects and birds.

Each plant species has evolved to use or not use nectar in a way that benefits it. Some plants offer nectar near the base of the flower to attract pollinators. Others put nectaries on stems and leaves to attract insects that will repel herbivores.

Buck Brush. Photo by Keir Morse.

Hounds Tongue. 5 white nectaries reflect ultraviolet light, easily seen by bees. Photo by Alf Fengler.

Ants protect the plant from herbivores. Here, an ant visits a nectary on a stem. Photo by Beatriz Moisset

Many nectars emit sweet-smelling scent molecules into the air that make the plant smell fragrant to us and other animals. This helps pollinators find the plant, sometimes from a long way off.

See here for more on how taste and smell work.

Want more about nectar? See Wikipedia.

Corrections/Comments: bruce@PlantID.net