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  • From: "Lon J. Rombough" <lonrom@hevanet.com>
  • To: gardenwriters-on-gardening <gwl-g@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [gwl-g] Peonies and ants
  • Date: Mon, 26 Apr 2004 20:30:56 -0700

Title: Re: [gwl-g] Peonies and ants
Such a symbiotic relationship strongly suggests that the ants must perform some other function, such as keeping other insects off the peonies.  There are species of Acacia that have ants specific to the trees that get sweet sap from the trees and in return they "guard" the trees from any other insects that might attack the tree.  If such a relationship exists with another plant, no reason it wouldn't exist with more than one kind of plant.  
   Ants actually have symbiotic relationships with a lot of plants in various ways.  Ants are attracted to the sweet flesh around the seeds of the Maypop (Passiflora incarnata) and take the seeds down into their tunnels to eat the flesh off the seed.  This simultaneously "plants" the seed and something in the ant's cleaning increases the germination of the seed, as well.
-Lon Rombough



on 4/26/04 5:13 PM, fran gustman at fgustman@juno.com wrote:

> Is it an old wive's tale that the ants help the blossoms to open? I don't
> see how. What are the ants doing on the peonies?

Buds of peonies exude a sweet, viscous sap that attracts ants.  At times
this sap even wells up into large, transparent drops that can impede
expansion of the petals.  When the ants consume this, it might facilitate
opening of the blossoms.




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