Educational Science

Do trees exist (scientifically speaking)?

If you look at an evolutionary diagram, you can see where Homo sapiens branched off from other primates. You can see where apples branched off from the rest of the rose family. But you won't see where trees branched off from other plants. That's because they never did. Trees are...

Do indoor plants purify air?

House plants have become incredibly popular in recent years, but do indoor plants purify air? And to what extent? Since the COVID-19 pandemic began, there's been a huge focus on the importance of indoor air quality since so many of us have spent increasing amounts of time inside. Further to...

Carnivorous plants known as Venus flytraps (Dionaea muscipula) lure insects between their blushing leaves with a fragrant nectar. When these insect-hungry plants snap down on their unassuming prey, they generate a measurable magnetic field, according to a new study. The plant's magnetic field is more than a million times weaker...

How to care for houseplants

Knowing how to care for houseplants so that they stay happy and healthy can feel like a complex topic. You’ll find that investing in one of the best humidifiers can be helpful in keeping the humidity level in the room just right for your plants, but there’s also underwatering, overwatering,...

Rare 'zombie fingers' parasitic fungus is hanging on (barely) in Australia

A fungus that resembles decaying human fingers is endangered but hanging on for dear life in Australia, wrapping its zombie-like digits around fallen trees on an island near the continent's southern coast. Hypocreopsis amplectens is commonly known as tea-tree fingers, as its shape resembles pudgy human fingers clinging to wood...

Girthy 'penis plant' blooms for the first time, sparking excitement at Dutch garden

A plant that stands taller than a grown human, reeks of decomposing flesh and looks vaguely phallic recently bloomed in the Netherlands' oldest botanical garden, to the delight of garden staff and visitors alike. The Amorphophallus decus-silvae, a type of penis plant, bloomed for the first time last week after...

1st time-lapse of rare moonflower blooming is stunning

A rare Amazonian cactus that blooms only once a year for just 12 hours has successfully flowered in the U.K. for the first time, capturing the attention of hundreds of thousands of people around the world who watched the event online. The moonflower (Selenicereus wittii) is a rather unusual cactus...

Flowers use the smell of death to lure and imprison coffin flies

Scientists recently discovered a flower that lures in and imprisons coffin flies with the smell of death. The plant uses this stinky aroma to trick the insects into pollinating its flowers. This is the first time that a flower has been found to mimic the scent of dead insects as...

Why is grass green?

As soon as the weather warms, lawn mowers also begin to start up (at least in suburbia), creating those perfectly shaped and brilliantly green lawns. But why is grass green and not blue or purple, say? The short answer is a green pigment called chlorophyll. The longer answer has to...