Plant of the Month: Peanut
The peanut, a natural hybrid of two species, originated in Bolivia. It now plays a critical role in food cultures around the world.
Plant of the Month: Sundew
Beautiful but deadly, the carnivorous sundew has long fascinated amateur and expert botanists alike—and may possess untapped medicinal value.
Plant of the Month: Hyacinth
A 2021 shortage of hyacinth bulbs brings to mind the long and storied history of its botanical and economic import.
Using Thoreau’s Notebooks to Understand Climate Change
Thoreau's time at Walden Pond has provided substantial data for scientists monitoring the effects of a warming climate on the area's plant life.
Plant of the Month: Cretan Rockrose
Cretan rockrose has been used as a medicine for millennia. Its unusual harvesting methods were documented by the ancient historian Herodotus.
How Does the Warming Arctic Impact Plants?
For flowering plants in the Arctic, cold temperatures don't mean death. But warmer temperatures might.
Plant of the Month: Cassava
Cassava can grow in hot climates with little rainfall. It may be the "root crop of the century."
What Coca Means in Peru
Coca has a long history of use in Peru: for sacred ritual, economic productivity, courtship and celebration of life events.
A Weed is but an Unloved Flower
"Whatever Otherness weeds may possess, it is an outcome of human artifice.”
Plant of the Month: Garlic Mustard
As garlic mustard naturalized in North America, it became a popular plant to forage for impoverished and rural communities.