What colour are the flowers of the common cow-wheat?

The common cow-wheat is an annual flower recognised by its golden yellow petals and narrow pointed leaves. It grows along woodland edges, on heaths and on upland moors. The flowers typically bloom between May and September in the Northern Hemisphere. The wild plant grows to between 20 and 50 cm (7.9 and 19.7 in).

As a hemi-parasitic plant, the common cow-wheat feeds on the nutrients of nearby plants, therefore, it is unusual to see cow-wheat on its own. Not many insects can reach the nectar of the flowers, except those with a long proboscis, such as bees and the Heath Fritillary butterfly. Whilst most plants rely on insects for pollination, if the flower is not pollinated, it will pollinate itself.

Although very few insects can penetrate the nectar, the flowers produce a sugary substance from glands below the petals, which small creatures such as ants can access. Ants also help to spread the plant from one place to another because they mistake the seeds for ant cocoons and carry them to their nests.