In this time-lapse, you follow a lotus flower by the pond in the Tropical House from the first day, when the flower just starts to open slightly and emit fragrance, to the day it fully blooms and begins to lose its petals on the third day.
In nature, the fragrance attracts insects, especially beetles, which pollinate the flowers. At dusk, the petals of the flower close tightly. Any insects inside the flower are trapped until the next day when the flower fully opens.
During the night, the insects deposit pollen on the flower's stigma. They then become dusted with pollen, which they can carry to the next flower. At dusk on the second day, the flower closes again, but not as tightly. On the third day, the flower opens and closes one last time.
After this, the petals begin to fall off, and the flower withers. During the night and early morning, the flower also becomes warmer. A lotus flower can reach temperatures of 30-35 degrees Celsius, even if the surrounding temperature is only 10 degrees Celsius. The warmth makes the beetles trapped inside the flower more active. They eat and mate, and as they move around, they pollinate the flower more effectively.
The Greenhouses in the Botanical Garden, Aarhus, are part of the Science Museums, Aarhus University