The language of light- part 1

There’s no way you can walk past the Red Vein Mallow, Abutilon pictum, without stopping to admire it. Those red veins are rich in anthocyanin pigments — not just pretty decoration, but visual cues for pollinators. Red flowers attract nectar-feeding birds like our sunbirds, and butterflies too, who see red vividly and glide in for their feast.

You’ve probably noticed hibiscus flowers also have a bright red centre with radiating stripes.

And you must have noticed the Gulmohar, Delonix regia, with its single petal that is speckled red — this is called the banner petal, a speckled landing pad to guide sunbirds and bees alike.

Another flower is the golden Canna lily, which also lays down its speckled dots like a trail of breadcrumbs, leading butterflies, bees, and birds deep into its throat.

But here’s the twist. Honey bees are blind to red. They see ultraviolet, blue, and green. Red appears to them as a dull, dark grey. How do they navigate?

Curious, I shone a UV torch on the flower and the hidden map revealed itself. Of course the bees have compound eyes and they still see a polished version, But this gives us an idea of how different the world looks for them.

The red veins turned into dark landing strips, and the muted yellow petals brightened just enough. This is what guides the bee straight to the nectar.

That yellow comes from carotenoid pigments, which not only attract pollinators but also reflect ultraviolet light, lighting up the petals like beacons in the bee’s world. Bees also follow scent trails and textures, reading the flower like a multi-sensory map.

It’s the same with the radiating stripes of hibiscus flowers — what’s invisible in red to us becomes a vivid path under UV for the bee.

So why be red, when it could be any other colour? Because the flower speaks many languages and caters to everyone’s needs.

It calls to us humans, who find red powerful and attractive — and so, we care for the plant.

It lures birds and butterflies for nectar and pollen. And for the bees, it lays down a secret trail of light and shadow — a map written in ultraviolet ink.