Improving Plants

Self-pollinating or cross-pollinating

Figure 5: Hummingbird drinking nectar from Aloe vera

Aloe vera produces protandrous flowers. This means the stamen, or pollen-releasing part of the flower, releases pollen. This happens before the stigma is receptive. Pollen cannot be received. The plants are not able to pollinate itself, which means Aloe vera relies on pollinators to grow. Possible pollinators could be hummingbirds and other nectar-drinking birds. See figure 5. Bees rarely pollinate Aloe vera plants. [homesguides]

How to determine if a species is self- or cross-pollinated

When cross pollinating, the pollen is transferred, with the help of a pollinator, from one plant to another. These pollinators could be insects, birds or the wind. In self-pollination, the plant’s stamen sheds pollen directly to its own stigma. But how can you, with just looking at a plant, determine whether a plant is self-pollinated or cross-pollinated? As I already told you, cross pollinating plants need help from other pollinators. And these pollinators need to be attracted to the plant of course. How do they do this? The answer is simple: Cross pollinating plants have brightly colored petals, nectar and scent. The stamens and pistils are long. This is different compared to a self-pollinating plant, which, for example, has smaller flowers.[Compare Anything]