Buttercups, a food source for bees and hummingbirds, brighten roadsides and meadows across Central New York between May and July. The bright and glossy flowers have petals that curve inward and reflect light into the flower center, increasing the heat. This warms the stamens, the pollen-producing parts, promoting stronger pollen growth for successful fertilization. The warmth benefits the flowers and attracts pollinators such as bees and hummingbirds. Credit: Michelle Gabel | Central Current

Buttercups, a food source for bees and hummingbirds, brighten roadsides and meadows across Central New York between May and July.

The bright and glossy flowers have petals that curve inward and reflect light into the flower center, increasing the heat. This warms the stamens, the pollen-producing parts, promoting stronger pollen growth for successful fertilization. The warmth benefits the flowers and attracts pollinators such as bees and hummingbirds.

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Michelle Gabel is a Syracuse-based independent photojournalist who captures the human experience through documentary photography and portraiture. Her long-form photography projects tell complex, contemporary...