Botany
Not All Cherry Blossoms Are the Same
View these vivid illustrations by Japanese artist Kōkichi Tsunoi of the varieties of trees presented to the United States in 1912
You Can Now Download 150,000 Free Illustrations of the Natural World
The artworks, collected by the open-access Biodiversity Heritage Library, range from animal sketches to historical diagrams and botanical studies
Space Farmers Could Grow Crops in Lunar and Martian Soil, Study Suggests
With a little added organic matter, dusty lunar and Martian soil simulants produced tomatoes, rye, radishes and other crops in the lab
Researchers Discover the Tallest Known Tree in the Amazon
Satellite images and a trek into the rainforest reveal a group of trees over 80 meters, or about 260 feet, and one as tall as 88.5 meters
Once Thought to Be Extinct, This Lucky Clover Has Recovered Enough to Come Off the Endangered List
Running Buffalo Clover, which once spread on trampled ground left by bison, has made a comeback in the Midwest and Appalachians
The Hard-Drinking Early Smithsonian Naturalists of the Megatherium Club
William Stimpson created a fraternity of young scientists and named it for an extinct North American sloth
Smithsonian Scientists Are Using Ginkgo Leaves to Study Climate Change—They Need Your Help
Citizen scientists can submit leaf samples from their hometowns through the end of August
The Pioneering Female Botanist Who Sweetened a Nation and Saved a Valley
One of India’s finest plant scientists, Janaki Ammal spurred her country to protect its rich tropical diversity
U.K.'s Oldest Tree Is Being Besieged by Tourists
Visitors to the Fortingall Yew are snapping twigs, stealing needles and tying beads and ribbons to branches, which experts believe may be stressing it out
Decoding the Mathematical Secrets of Plants’ Stunning Leaf Patterns
A Japanese shrub’s unique foliage arrangement leads botanists to rethink plant growth models
1,000-Year-Old Pouch From Bolivia Contains Traces of Five Mind-Altering Drugs
The ingredients include coca leaves and two compounds used in modern ayahuasca rituals
Allergy Season Is Getting Longer and Nastier Each Year
An extended and intensified allergy season is one of the most visible effects of climate change
This Is the World's Tallest Tropical Tree
The yellow meranti in Malaysia's Sabah state is 330 feet tall and weighs more than a jetliner
Flooding Creates a 10-Mile-Long Lake in Death Valley
The rare ephemeral lake was caused when the compacted, dry desert soil wasn't able to absorb the .87 inches of rain that recently fell on the national park
Here’s How Horticulturalists Made the Michelle Obama Orchid
This year’s orchid show takes over the cavernous naturally-lit Kogod Courtyard with thousands on view
In Search of George Washington Carver’s True Legacy
The famed agriculturalist deserves to be known for much more than peanuts
Dornith Doherty's Mesmerizing Photos Capture the Contradictions of Seed Banking
"Archiving Eden," now at the National Academy of Sciences, shows how guarding against an ecological catastrophe is both optimistic and pessimistic
How a Love of Flowers Helped Charles Darwin Validate Natural Selection
Though his voyage to the Galapagos and his work with finches dominate the narrative of the famed naturalist, he was, at heart, a botanist
Southern California Will Soon See Another Booming Superbloom
If the rain keeps up, the deserts and burn scars will soon explode with acres of colorful poppies, lupines, lilies and other ephemeral flowers
Flowers Sweeten Up When They Sense Bees Buzzing
A new study suggests plants can 'hear' the humming of nearby pollinators and increase their sugar content in response
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