Plants make molecules that have aromas for several reasons. From the unsavoury stink of the skunk cabbage to the pleasant smell of the sweet peas, almost all plants discharge a certain amount of pleasant or stench-like smells. However, these smells are not for the benefit of the human nose. Some of these smells, created by the plant’s molecules, are used by the plant for attracting insects for pollination. Plants that amplify the output of these smells during the day are primarily pollinated by bees and butterflies. While the ones that release their smell in the night are pollinated by moths and bats.
Why do some plants smell and others don’t?
