The characteristic scent of flowers such as lavender is caused by so-called volatile organic compounds (VOCs), chemical products that provide each species with its own scent. However, what we did not know is that that “own” scent is not really that own.
According to a new study by the Center for Ecological Research and Forest Applications (CREAF), in collaboration with the Autonomous University of Barcelona, flowers smell more than just flowers. Its perfume is not only given by this vegetal appendage of many plants, but also by the microorganisms, bacteria and fungi that cover them.
In the experiments carried out in the research, elderflower flowers were sprayed with various antibiotics. Well, in the plants treated with antibiotics, the internal floral content of volatile compounds and respiration were stable, which implies that the antibiotics do not cause damage or stress in the plants.
However, they did drastically decrease the amount of aromatic compounds emitted by the flowers , which provide the scent, in cases where it was sprayed with antibiotics. In addition, the antibiotics also modified the types of compounds that the flower emitted. The result is that the bouquet of the elderflowers was completely different up to seven days after being sprayed with these products.
With the antibiotics, the elderberries still had healthy flowers but they didn’t smell like elderberry. And is that the antibiotics did not affect the plant, but they had eliminated the microorganisms and fungi that live in the flowers. Thus, the key role of fungi and bacteria in flower odors and perfumes is demonstrated, according to Josep Peñuelas, leader of the study.
