In the moonlight, scary shadows dance around a tree. High in the tree, a flower opens its petals. A sudden stink fills the air. T e Midnight Horror tree is blooming. A bat smells the flower’s strong


scent. T e bat drinks the flower’s smelly nectar. It must hurry. Before morning, the flower will die. As the bat drinks, pollen sticks


to its body. T e bat flies to another flower. It carries the pollen with it. Some pollen falls into the second flower. T is movement of pollen is important. Now the tree can make seeds. T e seeds may grow into another Midnight Horror tree.


Day and Night T e Midnight Horror tree is not alone. Many plants need help to spread their pollen. Most of them bloom during the day. Many of these day flowers have


bright colors, pretty patterns, and sweet smells. All of these things bring daytime pollinators. When the sun sets, the night


plants bloom. Now a diff erent set of pollinators arrives. T ese night pollinators include bats and other animals that are awake at night.


18 NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC EXPLORER


Moon Glow Most night flowers don’t have bright colors or pretty patterns. Colors and patterns would be too hard to see in the dark. Instead, most night flowers are white or a pale color. A moonflower is a good example.


Its white petals seem to glow in the dark. A hawk moth swoops in to drink its nectar. T e moth’s wings beat the petals. Its body bumps the flower’s stamens. Pollen falls off the stamens. It sticks to the moth’s body. T e moth then flies to another


flower. Pollen from the first flower lands on the second flower’s pistil. Moving pollen from one flower to another leads to pollination.


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