Alright, let’s talk about something that’s been bugging me in my garden lately: do bats actually pollinate lilikoi? I’ve got these lilikoi vines, and I noticed they bloom at night. So, I got to thinking, who’s doing the pollinating work when I’m asleep?
First off, I did a little digging around. Turns out, bats are known for pollinating plants that flower at night. These flowers are usually big, white or light-colored, and have a strong smell – you know, the kind that stands out in the dark. Lilikoi flowers? Check, check, and check. They’re pretty big, white, and man, do they smell good at night.
So, I started watching my garden after dark. I grabbed a flashlight and went out there a few nights in a row. And guess what? I saw bats flying around! They were all over the place, especially near the lilikoi flowers. I even saw a few of them getting real close to the flowers, dipping their long noses in there.

Now, from what I read, bats that pollinate have these long snouts and tongues, perfect for reaching into flowers for nectar. And yeah, the bats I saw definitely had those long snouts. They were moving from flower to flower, and it sure looked like they were doing the job.
My Observations
- Night Bloomers: My lilikoi flowers open up at night, which is prime time for bats.
- Bat Activity: I saw bats flying around my garden at night, especially near the lilikoi.
- Flower Features: The flowers are large, white, and fragrant, which matches what I read about bat-pollinated flowers.
- Long Snouts: The bats I saw had long snouts, just like the ones described for pollinating bats.
I also learned that bats are attracted to gardens with native plants that bring in insects. Bats eat those insects, so it’s a win-win. I’ve got a bunch of native plants in my garden, so that might be why the bats are hanging around.
From all this, I’m pretty convinced that bats are indeed pollinating my lilikoi. It makes sense – the flowers are perfect for it, I see bats at night near the flowers, and everything I read lines up. It’s kind of cool to think that these little night fliers are helping my lilikoi vines produce fruit.
So, if you’ve got lilikoi or other night-blooming plants, you might want to take a look outside after dark. You might just see some bats doing their thing. It’s a pretty neat part of nature that we often miss while we’re sleeping.
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