Who doesn't love a peony? Such a grand harbinger of spring and quite the showy sister, once she bursts forth.
Guess who loves the peony more than us?
Yep, ants love 'em like a hog loves slop.
Entire colonies live off of a large peony plant.
And, isn't it true that peonies need ants to open their blossoms?
WRONG!
Ants and peonies exist in a symbiotic relationship in which both benefit and neither suffers.
The ants gather nectar that exudes from the peony bud.
The ants, in return, protect the peony from insect predators such as aphids, mites, etc.
In the end, we have beautiful flowers to enjoy and the ants...well, they go do what they do best. Survive. Photos of the full blossoms to follow - soon!
The ants go marching one by one Horrah!! HoorraH! 😁 I really didn't know all the info about ants and peonies relationship. I am jealous of you for having these beauties yet ant infested flowers around. I used to like having them around not just because of their fragrance but also because they are an easy target for macro photography with all those little creatures hanging on them.
ReplyDeleteThey are a cheap date, that's for sure. This one has been in the family for at least 8-10 years and still jammin'! We've got another one that struggled after transplanting to a pot last year, but it looks pretty good so far. These were hand held with 55+12 ext. tube and off-the-camera flash - the wind and rain have been miserable and so intermittent I can't set up the tripod. Run and shoot!
DeleteNice, can't wait to see them in bloom!
ReplyDeleteThanks David - I'm working on the new blooms now!
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