• Question: when it is spring how does a flower turn into a fruit in the summer?

    Asked by nami123 to Ajay, Kate, Kuntal, Pip, Reka on 10 Nov 2016.
    • Photo: Reka Nagy

      Reka Nagy answered on 10 Nov 2016:


      It’s all got to do with how plants make seeds in order to reproduce.
      In spring, plants produce flowers that attract insects. These insects collect nectar produced by the flowers for their own well-being, but while doing so, they also coat themselves in pollen, which the plants use to reproduce with. When the insects travel from flower to flower, they deposit this pollen, fertilizing the plant.

      By the end of spring, this process is complete in most plants, so they have no further use for their flowers. The plant starts to grow its seed, which needs to be protected from the outside while it’s growing. This is where the thick, fleshy pulp of fruit comes in – fruit is actually the ovary of the plant, believe it or not!

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