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Nature and Environment

Pollen calling

Arthur Sullivan
May 3, 2018

Starting to feel your nose twitch? Hayfever sufferers will notice quicker than most when pollen season starts, but that doesn't mean everyone else shouldn't learn a thing or two about this remarkable process of nature.

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From walnut trees to the iconic sunflower, pollination is, to paraphrase Shakespeare, the food of botanic love. It is, quite simply, the transfer of pollen from a male part of a plant to the female plant that allows fertilization to occur.

An essential process for plant reproduction, pollination can occur through wind distribution or through pollinators such as the honey bee, which pick up pollen from flowers and plants and then distribute them to others.

The sight of pollen blowing through the air can be a visual boon to some and a curse to others who are affected by hayfever. Regardless of your perspective, it appears that we all need to get used to pollen, and more of it. According to scientists, pollen counts are set to rise starkly in the coming years as a result of global warming.

Arthur Sullivan
Arthur Sullivan Reporter and senior editor focused on global economic stories with a geopolitical angle.@drumloman86