i get that--plants at varying maturity levels will produce their own flowers whenever they feel ready, but i have the feeling that there has to be more than this in order for these plants to survive in the wild--let alone their own kind and not hybrids. just for the sake of argument, Sarrs, while being at different years of maturity, all mature plants are able to synch all their blooms together at a specific time, whether early just right after dormancy or slightly later. it doesnt matter if the plant is a 4 year old plant or an 8 year old plant--because they are the same species, they are coded to flower at the same time. could there be an unknown factor, such as lighting, drought, or pheromones that could trigger neps to sync their flowering schedules.
im going to submit the idea that it isn't random at all, but there are certain triggers that we may have caused (either knowingly or unknowingly) that cause flowering. and perhaps the triggers aren't even the same triggers for the same species, perhaps there are different trigger requirements for both males and females within the same species--although it would make sense for them to respond to the same trigger.