This floral motif was taken on 16 March 2015 in the late afternoon hours with the NIKON D90 (lens: SIGMA 18.0-50.0 mm f/2.8) in the Botanical Volkspark Blankenfelde-Pankow.
The snow rose (Helleborus niger), usually called Christmas rose or black hellebore, is a plant species from the genus hellebore (Helleborus) in the buttercup family (Ranunculaceae). It is best known for its early flowering period and the use of its varieties with strikingly large, white flowers as ornamental garden plants.
The black hellebore is a hemicryptophyte.
The pre-feminine (protogynia) cup flower is mainly pollinated by bees, bumblebees and butterflies as well as pollen-feeding insects. In contrast to the perianth, the fragrant nectar leaves absorb UV light, which attracts UV-visible insects, especially bees and bumblebees.
Due to the very early flowering period, pollination by insects is not always guaranteed. The snow rose compensates for this disadvantage by the fact that the stigmas remain fertile for a very long time and, in the worst case, can also absorb their own pollen for self-pollination (autogamy).
"For me, photography feels like really capturing the moment - like a kind of alchemy where time is physically captured."
Silva Wischeropp was born in the Hanseatic city of Wismar in the former GDR. Today she lives and works in Berlin. As a passionate travel..
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