Why do some plants flower only once then die?
The Big Bloom Gamble
Why do some plants flower only once then die?
Most plants bloom year after year, making flowers every spring like clockwork. But some plants — bamboo, century plants, certain wildflowers — throw one massive party of flowers, scatter their seeds everywhere, and then collapse and die. Why would a plant do something so dramatic?
Think of a plant's life like a savings account for energy. Every day, leaves collect sunlight and turn it into sugar — that's the plant's money. A plant can spend that energy in two ways: growing bigger and stronger, or making flowers and seeds.
