Do Plants Have Male and Female Differentiation?

Nathanel asks: Do plants have male and female differentiation? Is it only in fruit trees? If so, how does it work and who is the male and who is the female??

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Hello and blessings,

There are trees that produce only male flowers (with stamens), and there are trees that produce only female flowers (that receive pollen).

So, it can be said that male and female exist in plants as well (although there are many plants that are both male and female, meaning they have bisexual flowers).

Every flower that is fertilized by pollen turns into a fruit with seeds, which can later germinate in the soil into new seedlings.

(Photo: shutterstock)

When you see a flower with a stalk in the middle, it is a female flower.

If a flower has many thin stalks ending with stamens (usually appearing like yellow pollen grains), it is a male flower.

If the flower contains both a stalk in the middle and thin stalks with stamens, it is bisexual.

Trees reproduce through insects that transfer pollen from flower to flower, thus fertilizing flowers that turn into fruits.

As it is said: "How great are your works, Hashem, in wisdom you made them all" (Psalms 104:24).

Blessings,

Daniel Bels