Do Ants Help Peonies?
WouterDuring the spring, peonies are in full bloom and providing beautiful color displays. There are some myths around whether ants help peonies or not. They do not harm peonies, but they can be a nuisance if you are trying to pick them for your bouquet.
When you cut a peony, you may see many tiny ants crawling on the petals. These little creatures are in fact not harmful, they are only there to feed on the sweet nectar that peonies produce. But they are not necessary to help peonies produce blooms.
During the development stage of a flower, the petals secrete a sticky sugary substance. Ants find this tasty liquid and follow it back to the nest to feed on it. They also produce a scent trail to lead other ants back to the source of the nectar. This process is called mutalism.
Peonies are part of a group of plants called myrmecophytes, which means “ant plant.” This is because peonies attract ants. They also provide the ants with other compounds, such as amino acids.
A good sign that peonies attract ants is when you see a cluster of little ants crawling on the flower buds before they open. Ants aren’t harmful to peonies, they simply protect the buds from other insects that may be trying to eat them.
Interestingly enough, peonies do have a special smell that ants find attractive. But they don’t provide any pollination. The scent is not as important as the fact that peonies provide food and other compounds for the ants.
