Plants
Mysterious "Fairy" Circles Share Qualities With Human Skin
Researchers noticed that the pattern of Namibia's "fairy" circles strongly resembles that of skin cell growth
"Wereplant" Releases Its Pollen By the Light of the Full Moon
An unassuming shrub from the Mediterranean is the first documented case of a plant timing its reproduction to the lunar cycle
Growing Plants Have Never Looked So Gruesome
All it takes is a slight shift of perspective to realize plants are far from inanimate
American Bugs Almost Wiped Out France’s Wine Industry
When the Great French Wine Blight hit in the mid 1800s, the culprit turned out to be a pest from the New World that would forever alter wine production
A Goat's Stomach Never Looked So Good
Eleven venues worldwide will exhibit these 20 striking micrographs, MRI scans and illustrations—all winners of this year's Wellcome Image Awards
A "Smart" Mattress Cover and Other Wild Ideas That Just Got Funded
Don't have a green thumb? A sensor for your potted plants alerts you when they need watering
This Mysterious Plant Doesn’t Have Time for Junk DNA
Utricularia gibba has less DNA, but more genes
Would You Like to Grow Color-Changing Flowers?
A Colorado company is working to genetically engineer petunias that change colors throughout the day
You Wouldn't Have Chocolate Without Invisible Flies and Extreme Yeast
It takes a wild and temperamental menagerie to bring the beloved candy to store shelves. Bon appétit!
Life-Giving Rain Also Spreads Deadly Plant Disease
High-speed cameras show how leaf flexibility influences raindrop dispersal into the air — along with pathogens picked up from infected plants
Creating Drought-Tolerant Plants By Hacking Their Natural Responses
Which new technique will help plants survive with less water?
The Colorado River Delta Turned Green After a Historic Water Pulse
The experimental flow briefly restored the ancient waterway and may have created new habitat for birds
Medical Mistletoe: Can the Holiday Plant Really Fight Cancer?
In some countries, cancer patients take mistletoe injections to ease symptoms, but the exact effects of the extracts are still up for debate
Best Gifts of 2014 for Nature Lovers
Smithsonian editors, gardeners and scientists offer ideas to give the gifts that keep wildlife thriving
Some Plants Eavesdrop (And Steal) Via an Underground Fungal Network
An underground network can be used for friendly communication—or for evil
Get Past the Vile Smell: Ginkgo Nuts Are Delicious
People have been feasting on these tasty little morsels since at least the 11th century
How a Misdrawn Map Put 1,400 Chimps and a Rare Plant in Peril
Miners and farmers are moving into a protected forest in Congo thanks in part to an administrative blooper
This Artist Makes E. coli-Shaped Popsicles
For those who prefer plants to pathogens, there's popsicle cacti, too
The Everyday Cannibals and Murderers of Los Angeles
Who needs film noir when you’ve got these insects in the City of Angels?
How the Gates Foundation Is Making Cassava the Next Corn
Sophisticated plant breeding techniques (but no GMOs) and lots of money are aimed at improving this staple crop of the tropics
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