BOTANY

The symbol for female (left) and male (right).

The Surprising Origins of the Male and Female Symbols

The ♂and ♀ symbols initially had nothing to do with representing human sex or gender.

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.

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.

This Lab-Grown Perfume is Made From an Extinct Flower

It's like a much less stressful version of 'Jurassic Park.'

Anna Atkins (1799–1871), Dictyota dichotoma, in the young state & in fruit, from PartXI of Photographs of British Algae: Cyanotype Impressions, 1849-1850, cyanotype

How 19th-Century Photographer Anna Atkins Changed the Way We Look at Science

Her identity was a mystery for decades.

Rare 'Unicorn' Plant, Which Hasn't Been Seen in 131 Years, Discovered In Maine

Surprise!

8 Seemingly Harmless Plants That Can Kill or Maim You

Coming in contact with one of them feels like “being burnt with hot acid and electrocuted at the same time.”

Why Some Trees in Norway Are Missing Their Rings

The village of Kåfjord is still feeling the effects of World War II.

Palm Trees in Canada? It Could Happen, Thanks to Climate Change

The tropical flora could one day be a common sight at higher latitudes.

MAGNIFICENT CRINUM CRASSICAULE, THOMAS BAINES © THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF THE ROYAL BOTANIC GARDENS, KEW

6 Beautiful Botanical Sketches From History

Botanical Sketchbooks, a new book by Helen and William Bynum, collects some of the best drawings of the world's flora dating back to the 15th century.

Read One of the First Eyewitness Accounts of Antarctica

Joseph Dalton Hooker ate penguins and discovered volcanoes on the 1840s expedition.