Poppin' with Peonies
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By Tom Peterson
Allan Peterson takes it all in from a distance.
His stewardship of these red bombs pays off every May. The tubers provide a brilliance of short-lived color throughout late spring and when they are done, his other varieties bring it on, providing days of popping peony surprises in hues of yellow, white and red.
And if you look closely, our six-legged friends also ride this wave of color, taking in nectar and warding off nayer-do wells in the insect kingdom.
“The type of relationship between peonies and ants in the plant kingdom is described as mutualism, where both parties derive mutual benefit from the relationship,” according to bloomingbackyard.com
“The peonies provide a food source of sugars, amino acids, and other compounds the ants need.
In return, the ants protect the plant from other pests that may actually cause damage. Once the ants discover the nectar, they set a trail back to their nest for other ants in the colony to follow. All the ants in the colony protect this trail from potential invaders until all the nectar is gone, keeping other harmful bugs off the plant.
The presence of ants on peonies is only temporary. When they’ve removed all the nectar or when the plant stops blooming, they will trot off to find another source of food.”
Sounds like children. LOL.
Thanks, Dad for the photo.
Click to enlarge.
