A pistil is the female reproductive part of a flower, the part that produces seeds. If you look at the center of most flowers, you'll see a structure that looks like a tiny vase or bottle: that's the pistil. The top part, called the stigma, is often sticky so it can catch pollen. Below that is a tube called the style, and at the bottom is the ovary, where seeds develop after pollination.

When a bee visits a flower and pollen from another flower sticks to the pistil's stigma, pollination happens. This starts the process of seed formation inside the ovary. Eventually, the ovary becomes a fruit (like an apple or tomato) or a seed pod, protecting the seeds as they mature.

Many flowers have both pistils and stamens (the male parts that produce pollen), but some plants have separate male and female flowers. Next time you examine a flower closely, look for that bottle-shaped structure in the center: you'll be seeing the pistil, one of nature's most important structures for creating new plants.