They’re decorative and often emit a pleasing fragrance, but flowers serve a much greater purpose than delighting our senses. They promote a healthy ecosystem and biodiversity, serve as a food source, and nourish their surrounding environment. Taking time to choose the most appropriate blooms to plant in an area and allowing native flowers to thrive is a great service to the environment.

How Flowers Protect the Environment

Choose These Flowers

Editor’s Note: This article was originally published on May 2, 2018, and updated in May 2025.