Plants
Types of plants, including flowers, trees, water plants and weeds- Explore more »
Macoto Murayama’s Intricate Blueprints of Flowers
The Japanese artist depicts blossoms from various plant species in fastidious detail
May 10, 2013 |
By Megan Gambino
Why Asparagus Makes Your Urine Smell
Our bodies convert asparagusic acid into sulfur-containing chemicals that stink—but some of us are spared from the pungent odor
May 03, 2013 |
By Joseph Stromberg
Genetically Modified E. Coli Bacteria Can Now Synthesize Diesel Fuel
By combining genes from different bacteria species, scientists created E. coli that can consume fat and excrete diesel fuel
April 22, 2013 |
By Joseph Stromberg
Intriguing Science Art From the University of Wisconsin
From a fish's dyed nerves to vapor strewn across the planet, images submitted to a contest at the university offer new perspectives of the natural world
April 19, 2013 |
By Megan Gambino
10 Things We’ve Learned About the Earth Since Last Earth Day
Pigeon-eating catfish, Antarctic trash, and more: A list of surprising, alarming and exciting discoveries about our planet from the past year
April 19, 2013 |
By Joseph Stromberg
Where Have the Trees of Guam Gone?
Scientists are investigating whether the obliteration of the island's bird species is thinning the tree canopy and could ultimately alter the forests' structure
April 11, 2013 |
By Claire Martin
Bean Leaves Don’t Let the Bedbugs Bite by Using Tiny, Impaling Spikes
Researchers hope to design a new bedbug eradication method based upon a folk remedy of trapping the bloodsuckers as they creep
April 09, 2013 |
By Rachel Nuwer
What Makes Rain Smell So Good?
A mixture of plant oils, bacterial spores and ozone is responsible for the powerful scent of fresh rain
April 02, 2013 |
By Joseph Stromberg
The Greening of the Arctic is Underway
As the climate changes, trees and shrubs are poised to take over tundra and alter the Arctic's ecosystems
March 31, 2013 |
By Joseph Stromberg
A Survey of the 161 Bacterial Families That Live on Your Fruits and Veggies
The first-ever sequencing of the "produce microbiome" reveals that grapes, peaches and sprouts host the largest diversity of harmless bacteria
March 27, 2013 |
By Joseph Stromberg
Sea Monkeys, Ferns and Frozen Frogs: Nature’s Very Own Resurrecting Organisms
As Easter draws near, we celebrate creatures that seemingly die and then come back to life
March 25, 2013 |
By Rachel Nuwer
Even Bees Get a Buzz When They Drink Caffeine
The drug, naturally present in coffee and citrus plant nectars, is shown to improve honeybees' long-term memory
March 07, 2013 |
By Joseph Stromberg
A Plague of Locusts Descends Upon the Holy Land, Just in Time for Passover
Israel battles a swarm of millions of locusts that flew from Egypt that is giving rise to a host of ecological, political and agricultural issues
March 06, 2013 |
By Rachel Nuwer
Jane Goodall Reveals Her Lifelong Fascination With…Plants?
After studying chimpanzees for decades, the celebrated scientist turns her penetrating gaze on another life-form
March 2013 |
By Jane Goodall
Could Disappearing Wild Insects Trigger a Global Crop Crisis?
Three-quarters of the world’s crops—including fruits, grains and nuts—depend on pollination, and the insects responsible are disappearing
February 28, 2013 |
By Marina Koren
Events February 26-28: A Garden Scavenger Hunt, Japanese Flute and Drums and Author Taylor Branch
This week, get active in Smithsonian's gardens, jam out to jazz on traditional Japanese instruments and meet the author of The King Years
February 25, 2013 |
By Paul Bisceglio
The Story of How An Artist Created a Genetic Hybrid of Himself and a Petunia
Is it art? Or science? With DNA, Eduardo Kac pushes the limits of creativity and ethics
February 22, 2013 |
By Megan Gambino
Trash Threatens Fragile Antarctic Environment
Decaying field huts, open pits of trash and oil-slicked beaches mar King George Island, a logistical hub for Antarctic research
February 12, 2013 |
By Mohi Kumar
