BOTANY

What Are Those Tiny Spots on Apples?

The little pinprick spots on apples, pears, and potatoes are called lenticels, and they’re very important.

Tomatoes can be either fruit or vegetable, depending on who you talk to.

Is a Tomato a Fruit?

One vendor’s dispute against a 19th-century import tariff led the U.S. Supreme Court to classify the tomato as a vegetable. But botanists disagree.

A new device might make it easier for you to have a green thumb.

New Device Could Allow Your Houseplants to Communicate When They’re Stressed

Researchers have created a sensor that monitors plant stress, which could one day be a game-changer for anyone with a black thumb.

13 Vegetables That Are Actually Fruits, Botanically Speaking

You may have already heard that tomatoes are a fruit. Here are 10 other vegetables that also fit the botanical bill.

Lonely at the Top: Protecting Hyperion, the World's Tallest Tree

Redwood National Park is home to Hyperion, the world's tallest tree. But you won't find it marked on any maps—and that's for its own good.

Lonely at the Top: Protecting Hyperion, the World's Tallest Tree

Redwood National Park is home to Hyperion, the world's tallest tree. But you won't find it marked on any maps—and that's for its own good.

Lonely at the Top: Protecting Hyperion, the World's Tallest Tree

Redwood National Park is home to Hyperion, the world's tallest tree. But you won't find it marked on any maps—and that's for its own good.

Sprout of Office: Scientists Taught Spinach Plants to Send Emails About Hazardous Materials in the Soil

“I hope this email finds you well during these unprecedented times.” —A spinach plant in your inbox.

Are Halloween Pumpkins Edible?

The pumpkins sold around Halloween for carving and decoration aren't the same pumpkins used in pies.

Mysterious seeds are showing up in mailboxes in at least seven states.

Did You Get a Packet of Seeds in the Mail From China? Don't Open It

The seed packets, which have been mailed unsolicited to residents in at least seven states, have not been approved by agricultural officials and might be harmful to local plant life.

A stand at the Spice Bazaar in Istanbul, Turkey.

Herb vs. Spice: What’s the Difference?

Simon and Garfunkel sang about herbs, not spices—but that’s not the only difference between the two.

This corpse flower is ready for her closeup.

Barnard College’s Corpse Flower Just Bloomed for the First Time Ever—Watch It Here

The corpse flower smells similar to rotting flesh, dead fish, or Camembert cheese that’s been left out all night.

10 'Nuts' That Aren't Actually Nuts

Impress your botanist friends by knowing that peanuts are really legumes and cashews come from colorful “apples.”

Sorry, Plant Parents: Study Shows Houseplants Don’t Improve Air Quality

An examination of decades of studies demonstrates that plants don't do much to filter contaminants from the air.

What’s the Difference Between Forests, Woods, and Jungles?

The differences between forests, woods, and jungles aren't exactly an apple trees to orange trees kind of comparison.

Strawberry with Penicillium sp. mold, Rudolf Blaschka, 1929

Rotting Fruit—Made of Glass—Is the Focus of a New Exhibition at Harvard

Instead of showcasing more attractive crops, 'Fruits In Decay' at the Harvard Museum of Natural History displays the diseased fruits that don't make it to market.