Plants
Do Sunflowers Follow the Sun? Yes, But Only When They Are Young
Young sunflowers turn east to west each day and swing back at night. Mature ones stop and face east. How the plant’s inner clock and bees explain it.
Plants
From photosynthesis to flowers: the quiet but astonishing world of plants.
Plants
How Do Plants Drink Water? How Trees Lift Water 100 Metres Without a Pump
Plants have no heart, yet the tallest trees lift water over 100 metres. How roots, xylem and evaporation from leaves pull water up from the soil.
Plants
Why Are Leaves Green? Chlorophyll, Photosynthesis and a Puzzle
Leaves are green because chlorophyll absorbs red and blue light. But why would plants waste the most abundant colour of sunlight? The surprising answer.
Plants
Can Plants Make Sounds? Stressed Tomatoes Click in Ultrasound
Thirsty or cut plants emit ultrasonic clicks that microphones can record. What a 2023 study found, how plants signal danger and why they still don’t “scream”.
Plants
How Does a Venus Flytrap Work? The Plant That Counts to Five
A Venus flytrap snaps shut in a tenth of a second, but only after counting two touches. How its trigger hairs, electrical signals and snap-buckling leaves work.
Plants
What Is the Oldest Tree in the World? Meet Methuselah, Nearly 5,000 Years Old
A bristlecone pine in California called Methuselah is about 4,850 years old. How scientists count tree rings, and how a gnarled pine outlives empires.