Question

why do nocturnal flowers have white petals?

Answer 1

Answer:

A symbiotic relationship occurs between night flying creatures like bats and moths (who need to eat too!) and night blooming plants that need to be pollinated just like all the other flowers. Pale colored flowers glow in the moonlight, making them easier to find in the dark by pollinators.

Answer 2

Flowers that bloom at night have very unique challenge for pollination. They have a very short window of opportunity for successful pollination by bats and other insects.

In order to maximise their chances of successful pollination, these flowers have Naturally evolved with certain features.

Two of the features That I have noticed consistently throughout nocturnal bloomers are mild fragrance and white coloured flowers.

I’m not a botanist like my mother but of what I can gather I think white provides the best contrast among all colours in low light or at night conditions. And this contrast can successfully attract more pollinators for successful pollination.

I speculate that in larger flowers of the nocturnal species, pollination primarily occurs through bats. And no bats will be attracted to a plant / flower without nectar or any other food source. And I theorise that the mild fragrance attracts insects and moths. The bats come in pursuit of insects and moths and the ensuing melee of the bats and insects is when pollination occurs.

White colour for contrast.

Mild fragrance to attract secondary pollinators