River otters holding hands. Cats chasing their own tails. Animals seem like they demand our attention. But plants (and their tree friends) have a lot more going on than you’d think. Sit with them a while.
Plants Know When They Are Being Eaten. (And They Fight Back.)
October 27, 2016
Plants have long employed a variety of defensive strategies against herbivores, but the scope and sophistication of these defenses is still being understood.
Meet the Man Behind the Peony
July 12, 2019
In China, gramophone and camera in tow, botanist and explorer Joseph Rock collected seeds from the tree peony that bears his name.
America’s Mysterious Lost Tree
April 27, 2018
Extinct in the wild, the Franklinia tree is still cultivated in botanical gardens, private homes, parks, even cemeteries. It's also got an interesting Revolutionary-era backstory.
Plant of the Month: Turmeric
March 4, 2020
The plant’s golden color has inspired a long—and potentially deadly—fascination.
The Accidental Invention of Terrariums
December 9, 2018
Victorian London became obsessed with Ward's cases, which protected plants from the city's toxic pollution -- and piqued peoples' imaginations.
Four Flowering Plants That Have Been Decidedly Queered
January 29, 2020
The queer history of the pansy and other flowers.
The Marvelous Experiments of Amateur Plant Breeders
April 10, 2020
Over 100 years ago, a horticulturalist introduced hybrid plants to California gardeners. Up sprouted a movement of amateur experiments in plant biology.
Plant of the Month: The Sensitive Plant
February 5, 2020
This plant’s animal-like behavior and alleged love-provoking abilities have sparked the imagination of everyone from early modern yogis to today’s scientists.
The Mysteries of Crown Shyness
August 25, 2018
In some forests, trees grow in a manner that keeps their branches from touching one another. Despite decades of study, scientists aren't exactly sure why.
The Beloved, Bedeviled Banana
September 2, 2019
The Cavendish banana is currently threatened by a fungal disease. A similar disease all but wiped out its predecessor, the Gros Michel banana.
Wollemi Pine, Dinosaur Tree
November 10, 2018
The Wollemi Pine is an ancient tree, virtually unchanged since herbivorous dinosaurs last munched on them.
Why We Need Seagrass
June 25, 2018
Seagrass meadows are habitats for a variety of marine life, and a vital link between land and sea. But these crucial plants are increasingly under threat.
Why the Sandplain Grasslands Are So Special
January 15, 2016
Sandplain grasslands, a kind of East Coast prairie, are some of the rarest habitats in the world, and sheep-grazing may be key to their survival.
