Alyssa Rainville Flowers: The Blues

Being in a relationship with a biologist has led to some funny and off-beat moments. This includes, but is not limited to, in-depth analysis of plant cultivation methods at botanical gardens, a somewhat disconcerting interest and understanding of routine lab results from my doctor, and the methodical manner in which yeast is added to other ingredients for bread in our kitchen.

A perk of Chris' biology background is that he can throw flower articles my way that he sees while looking through his regular resources. This happens from time to time and I wanted to share one with you all today. The article he shared with me the other day is called Achievements and Perspectives in Biochemistry Concerning Anthocyanin Modification for Blue Flower Coloration. Anthocyanins are involved in the pigmentation of flowers and foliage. In particular, anthocyanins are specific to reds, purples, and blues.

The article is super short if you click through to read it, but it discusses the progress that scientists have made in engineering flowers to be more blue. The argument is that blue flowers are not as common naturally as other colors, such as white or pink. There's a demand and a research interest in the process, so scientists are working on cultivating flowers to naturally occur as blue.

As I was reading this, I was thinking about all the blue flowers that already exist.