Competitive Camellias

Camellias are my favorite flower because they bloom in the winter when you typically wouldn't expect a flower to bloom. Camellias are native to Japan, and they bloom between January and March. Japan has a fairly temperate climate, and plants that grow in temperate environments tend to be more adapted to variables in weather, just like here in Wilmington, where it is normal to have 40 degree days consecutive with 70 degree days. Nonetheless, its is a risk for Camellias to invest their resources into reproduction and blooming when most other plants are dormant and focused on survival during these harsher months. There is an ecological advantage to this trade-off. In the spring, plants are immediately all competing for sunlight and pollinators. Camellias are able to have first access to these. Competition for sunlight is considered contest competition because plants can be cut off from sunlight completely if they do not establish themselves. Competition for pollinators is more like scramble competition because each plant can access them, but not all plants are equally likely to get pollinated, especially when more are competing. Also, the fact that there are less flowers to pollinate in early spring means that Camellias also benefit from increased genetic variation because pollinators must fly further between flowers. All in all, Camellias are as competitive as they are beautiful.

 

Source: universityofbristolbotanicgarden.blogspot.com/2013/03/the...

Done