Plants in the News

[David Pilling]

Marks and Spencer sorry after displaying 'poisonous' daffodils next to food and under sign saying 'eat well'

"Daffodils are easy to mistake for a vegetable before they bloom but can be very harmful if eaten, with one expert comparing ingesting one to "swallowing a box of tiny needles". The flowers contain a toxic chemical called lycorine which can cause stomach cramps, nausea, diarrhoea and vomiting if consumed.

But, despite the potential for a dangerous mix-up, a display in one M&S store featured bunches of daffodils next to spring onions, with the plants and vegetables indistinguishable at first glance."


https://www.walesonline.co.uk/whats-on/shopping/marks-spencer-sorry-poisonous-daffodils-26359520

[Leo]

I was visiting a brother who had a pot full of very narrow, tubular, blue-green monocot leaves. I asked whether they were chives. He responded yes. I plucked one and began eating, finding no chive taste. At the same time he said "Or maybe those are those tiny little daffodils." I spit it out and had no ill effects. I again told my brother why labels are useful.

[David Pilling]

More than 40,000 plant species now stored in Kew Gardens' seed bank

"The Millennium Seed Bank (MSB) is celebrating a major milestone after banking more than 40,000 different plant species in an effort to preserve rare, threatened and important wild plants.

Dubbed the Noah's Ark for plants, the MSB holds the Guinness World Record for the largest seed bank facility on Earth.

It stores 98,567 seed collections sourced from 190 countries and territories across all seven continents, nine biogeographic regions and 36 biodiversity hotspots."


https://www.independent.co.uk/climate-change/news/research-scientists-david-attenborough-royal-botanic-gardens-kew-gardens-b2297812.html

[David Pilling]

Cambridge moonflower: Rare bloom flowers again

A rare Amazonian cactus has bloomed, but its beauty was short-lived as it starts to die after just 12 hours.

The moonflower, or Strophocactus wittii, is part of the collection at Cambridge University Botanic Garden.

The plant is "very rare" in captivity and when it bloomed in February 2021, it was believed to be the first time one had ever flowered in the United Kingdom.

It bloomed again at about 17:00 GMT on Saturday.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cambridgeshire-65006334

[Judy Glattstein]

Amorphophallus titanum is about to flower at the New York Botanical Garden.

"If you've never seen an Amorphophallus titanum, or the "corpse flower," now is the chance to visit The New York Botanical Garden (NYBG) where one is on display in the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory for the public to see, and eventually smell, when it blooms. The spectacular blooming flower gets its macabre nickname from the distinct odor, which some have described as similar to the smell of rotting meat, during its brief 24- to 36- hour bloom. Its smell serves a purpose, though, attracting pollinators that feed on dead animals. The final opening of the bloom is unpredictable but is expected to occur in the next week or two.

The full media alert is available here:
https://www.nybg.org/content/uploads/2023/03/Media-Alert-Corpse-Flower-Bloom-2023-ADA.pdf

Please consider sharing this news with your audience.
Thank you,
The NYBG Communications Team:"

Here's a link to the entry on my BelleWood Garden's web site from July 2016:
https://www.bellewood-gardens.com/2016/NYBG%20-%20Corpse%20Flower_2016-07.html

[David Pilling]

Plants emit ultrasonic sounds in rapid bursts when stressed, scientists say

Thirsty or damaged plants produce up to 50 staccato pops in an hour, which nearby creatures may respond to, researchers find

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/mar/30/plants-emit-ultrasonic-sounds-in-rapid-bursts-when-stressed-scientists-say

[Mikent]

The National Desk has released more photos of the California superbloom (near Santa Margarita). Check the link here https://thenationaldesk.com/news/from-the-desk/gallery/california-superbloom-bursts-to-life-after-record-breaking-rain-levels-historic-rainfall-explosion-of-color-santa-margarita-san-luis-obispo-county-goldfields-tidy-tips-baby-blue-eyes-lupine-california-poppies?photo=1

[petershaw]

Plants emit ultrasonic sounds in rapid bursts when stressed, scientists say

Thirsty or damaged plants produce up to 50 staccato pops in an hour, which nearby creatures may respond to, researchers find

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/mar/30/plants-emit-ultrasonic-sounds-in-rapid-bursts-when-stressed-scientists-say

I wonder if it's the snapping of the water columns in the tiny xylem cells, considering the cut the stems or had them wilting. I recall in my plant physiology class 100 years ago that tiny microphones could pick those snaps up.

The breaking of these columns is non reversible and if its happening in lots of areas results in permanent wilting of that part.

[David Pilling]

I wonder if it's the snapping of the water columns in the tiny xylem cells, considering the cut the stems or had them wilting. I recall in my plant physiology class 100 years ago that tiny microphones could pick those snaps up.

Interesting comment. The story was in many places and they promoted it as a new discovery. But they did explain that the noise was of physical origin, like the way wood crackles when burnt.

[David Pilling]

BBC host Monty Don says year of weather extremes wreaked havoc on his garden

Monty admitted he is ready to replace citrus trees, cannas and dahlias with "truly hardy" plants that can withstand the havoc wreaked on his garden caused by Britain's changing climates.

"Watering expensive plants when animals and even people are going without is unacceptable, along with a level of winter protection that involves unsustainably expensive and immoral use of fuel, which directly contributes to climate change, thus exacerbating the problem."


https://www.express.co.uk/celebrity-news/1758240/monty-don-gardeners-world-herefordshire-havoc-uk-weather

[David Pilling]

Sheffield scientists call for ban on artificial grass

"Householders should receive a council tax discount if they garden sustainably", researchers have said.

Artificial grass and pesticides should also be banned to help protect the environment, according to a study by the University of Sheffield.

Professor Ross Cameron said gardens must be "full of plants to be beneficial to the local environment".

"Gardens account for a third of all our urban areas and are vital spaces in terms of keeping our buildings and city environments cool in summer, absorbing rain to avoid flash flooding and providing an important refuge for wildlife," he said.

"Many residents use artificial grass that kills much of the soil life underneath it, and when real plants are present, we wrongly assume we need to hit them with a cocktail of chemicals to keep them alive and free of pests."

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-south-yorkshire-65375197

[David Pilling]

Abaxial leaf surface-mounted multimodal wearable sensor for continuous plant physiology monitoring

Wearable plant sensors hold tremendous potential for smart agriculture. We report a lower leaf surface-attached multimodal wearable sensor for continuous monitoring of plant physiology by tracking both biochemical and biophysical signals of the plant and its microenvironment. Sensors for detecting volatile organic compounds (VOCs), temperature, and humidity are integrated into a single platform.

https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.ade2232

[David Pilling]

Only old-fashioned gardeners kill weeds, says BBC presenter

Rachel de Thame urges people to 'put nature first' as Chelsea Flower Show gets ready to show that wildflowers can shine

Killing weeds is "old-fashioned", according to Rachel de Thame, who has urged gardeners to let them grow freely on flower beds to motorway verges....

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2023/05/16/killing-weeds-old-fashioned-gardener-rachel-de-thame

(paywall)

[janemcgary]

Since many weeds that afflict our gardens are not native to our particular region, allowing them to crowd out other plants and spread to the vicinity is not what most people would consider a benefit to "nature." Last night, on the other hand, I sat through a polemic about choosing "native plants" (those recommended were not, in fact, native to our region, but to a nearby area with greater extremes of temperature and much less precipitation), and it was tiring. So, is your nature-lover happy with the shiny geranium? And does anybody know how to get rid of it? It's far too natural for me.

[OrchardB]

I frequently pull off the growing centre of numerous plants, but have not checked if the fleshy roots reqrow. Am I fooling myself by not digging it up? As it grows in cracks and crevices it would be quite a job to remove all the roots.