Wikipedia:Featured picture candidates/Hydrangea Petals Affected by Aluminum Sulfate

 
Hydrangea macrophylla "Nikko Blue" petals. H. macrophylla is unique in botany, in that flower color is dramatically affected by the ph of the soil. In a low ph (acidic) soil, aluminum ions are absorbed by the roots and transmitted to the flower buds, producing a blue hue. In high ph (base) soil, the roots cannot absorb aluminum, and the flowers will remain pink or red.
Reason
Beauty of the image, also serving as an illustration of a very unusual capability posessed by H. Macrophylla. Well suited for computer wallpaper.
Articles this image appears in
Hydrangea macrophylla
Creator
Jerome F. Hartl

Not promoted MER-C 05:39, 16 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]