Do you know why plants have odors? We know that all flowers have a special aroma, a smell that attracts us and in turn makes them unique and irresistible. That smell is like a fresh and light perfume.
All plants synthesize special substances known as essential oils that they use to protect themselves from diseases (plants also get sick), ward off predators or to attract insects that help them in the pollination process. These substances are mixtures of various chemical compounds that give the aroma to flowers, fruits, bark, leaves and seeds.
Plants often concentrate these substances that act as “chemical messengers”. The scent travels through the air where and is detected by specific animals.
It is believed that good odors are associated with substances that are pleasant to consume, thus the plants manage to attract their pollinators.
Until now it was known that flowering plants used various biochemical pathways to produce a wide range of volatile organic compounds that gave flowers their own scent.
Some studies have discovered that flowers smell of “something more than flowers”, the protagonists when it comes to making the most delicate floral aromas, are not only the flowers, but also the microorganisms and fungi that cover them.