Photo credit: National Geographic

Mauritius, an island in the Indian Ocean, comes alive every June to October with blossoms of the rare Trochetia plant. Trochetia boutoniana has been the national flower of Mauritius since 1992 and it is often illustrated on stamps of Mauritius. It was named after French botanist Louis Bouton.

The Trochetia plant is one the few plants worldwide that produces coloured nectar. It is thought that the nectar developed colour over time to attract a specific species of bird to pollinate its flowers. This species of bird is now extinct, but The Blue-tailed Day Gecko is here to save the day! The gecko is currently found to be the plant’s most essential pollinator by frolicking from blossom to blossom in search of the nutritious nectar, while also pollinating the flower.