Question

Marys mother bought some beautiful blue flowering plants. she took very good care of the plants. she watered them, fertilized them regularly, and added lime to the soil to raise the pH from acidic to basic. one day mary noticed that the flowers had turned from blue to deep pink.

what caused this flower to change color
a: genetic cross
b: inherited gene
c: genetic mutation
d: enviromental factor

Answer 1

The answer is; D

Some plants change color with environmental pH. Examples of such flowers are Hydrangea, Hibiscus, These plants have been used to create litmus paper used in laboratories. In this case, Mary’s plants are blue in acidic pH and turn pink in basic pH. The soil pH makes some nutrients in the soil differentially available to the plants. Depending on which nutrient is made available, such as aluminum, they change color based on its absorption.