Have you noticed that hibiscus flowers are losing their bullseyes? 👀🌺⁠ ⁠ I thought I was imagining it—but turns out, I wasn’t. That vivid ring at the center of the bloom isn’t just garden drama; it actually helps attract pollinators and shields pollen from UV damage.⁠ ⁠ Researchers at the Sainsbury Laboratory in Cambridge recently discovered that some hibiscus are quietly changing. A gene called BERRY1 controls that target pattern, and when it mutates, the bullseye fades—or disappears altogether. ⁠ Why? ⁠ Possibly because pollinators are shifting… or maybe the environment is nudging plants to adapt in real time.⁠ ⁠ It’s one of those stories that makes you realize how alive and responsive plants really are. 🌿⁠ ⁠ We wrote about it (and a few other botanical oddities) in the September/October issue of American Gardener. You can read “How the Hibiscus Lost Its Bullseye” on page 9 or find it online at ahsgardening.org.⁠ ⁠ Not a member yet? Join us at connect.ahsgardening.org/join — and l...