plants

Botany or badass band? See if you can tell the difference.

They might seem icky, but we can‘t live without them.

Flies aren’t just decomposers—they’re also pollinators and pest predators. Researchers shows it’s time to appreciate these misunderstood insects.

Plums are only one of the fruits that the grafted tree can grow.

Artist Sam Van Aken grafted a tree that grows dozens of fruit varieties from a single trunk.

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

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

A backpacker enjoys the view in Chugach State Park near Anchorage, Alaska.

From Chesapeake, Virginia, to Anchorage, Alaska, these cities offer plenty of parkland.

The woolly devil—a recently identified plant species—has researchers intrigued because it belongs to a brand new genus.

You must be a lucky one of you find a four-leaf clover.

While the shamrock mainly has religious ties, the four-leaf clover—often mistaken for the same plant—is often associated with luck. We explain why.

A map of the 63 National Parks in the U.S.

From Acadia to Zion, the U.S. has some pretty majestic national parks. Here’s one fun fact about every single one—plus a map so you can see where they all are.

This flower arrangement LEGO set is made of 1161 pieces.

If every plant you touch dies, LEGO’s online flower arrangement workshop may be more your speed.

If you see frost, it's a sign to back off.

When it comes to cold-weather lawn care, this is one chore that can definitely wait until spring—with a couple of exceptions.

Discover how Bionic and the Wires are turning fungi into electronic musicians.

The corpse flower‘s name comes from its nasty smell.

Catch the blooming of Sydney‘s corpse flower without being exposed to its infamous odor.

There’s a surprising connection between the capital of the Philippines and mailing important documents.

There‘s a time and place for black tea (left) and herbal tea (right).

“Caffeine-free tea” isn't actually tea at all.

Those little packets keep your flowers fresh.

Three ingredients in the “flower food” packet stapled to the cellophane around your bouquet can help the blooms stay vibrant.

Kiss your pets under some artificial mistletoe.

Traditional Christmas plants like poinsettias, holly, and mistletoe can be dangerous for pets.

Christmas trees are an essential part of the holiday.

Discover the origins of the Christmas tree tradition that brings joy to millions each season.

The squirting cucumber can blast its seeds dozens of feet from the parent plant. The stem and fruit of the plant have been colored green in this image.

The little gourd can shoot its seeds nearly 40 feet via "ballistic dispersal”—but until now, the mechanism behind the plant’s power and proliferation was poorly understood.

There are Christmas tree farms scattered throughout the United States. Here’s which states produce the most of the holiday-favorite evergreen.

This scene depicts several Christmas traditions with long histories.

From expecting Santa to fill socks with gifts to eating cake that looks like tree bark, some holiday traditions are downright odd. But we can explain!