eli5: How do flowers come in a wide variety of colors besides green, despite most plants’ chlorophyll reflecting green light?

Question

I might have it mixed up, but do flower pedals not have chlorophyll? Or does their chlorophyll absorb green light and reflect other lights? Where do flower pedals get their color from?

In: Biology

Answer 1

Yes, flowers do not have chlorophyll. Flowers are there to attract pollinators, not photosynthesize. You’ll note that flowers have green leaves and green stems, that’s what does the photosynthesis.

Also, looking at flowers under a UV filter will also reveal more colors because some pollinators like bees can see UV light, so those flowers made UV patterns to attract them

Also, you have the reflection and absorption backwards. Chlorophyll absorbs all light except green, which it scatters, which is why we are able to see them as green because only green light bounces off.

There also exists another pigment for photosynthesis only found in cyanobacteria called phycocyanin, which only reflects blue light and absorbs the other colors. Chlorophyll was more successful in the long run, but cyanobacteria evolved first.