botany

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

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.

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

The Supreme Court once weighed in.

Researchers say field mustard plants can identify their attackers and select offensive gases accordingly.

A new book traces how people have depicted flora from ancient times through the modern era.

Frederick Sander via Wikimedia // Public Domain

The quest for orchids once involved fierce rivalries, huge sums of money, and several grisly deaths.

This dried-out daisy may not look like much, but it’s a testament to one of history’s most ambitious voyages.

Michael Ocampo via Flickr Creative Commons // CC BY 2.0

This tomato plant can sense and defend itself against invading plants.

At six calories a stalk, it’s not a very filling food and it's not all that flavorful, either. So why did humans bother to grow it?

In the absence of light, the plant uses its own energy stores.

The cheerful zinnia blooms are part of a gardening experiment aboard the International Space Station.

Mimosa pudica. Image Credit: Werner1122, Wikimedia Commons // CC BY SA-3.0

When threatened, the roots of Mimosa pudica plants deploy fart-like stink bombs.

Canadian Biodiversity Information Facility // Public Domain

You may have heard the saying “don’t s**t where you eat,” but fall armyworms certainly haven’t.

Tashkoskim via Wikimedia Commons // CC-BY-3.0

Looking like crap isn’t always a bad thing.

Earth's possible "first flower" doesn't have roots or petals, but it might be able to tell us a myriad of things about our own evolution and the future of pollination.

6 Beautiful Botanical Sketches From History

Read One of the First Eyewitness Accounts of Antarctica

Is a Tomato a Fruit?

Plants Tailor Their Chemical Weapons to Match Their Opponent

9 Breathtaking Images of the Botanical World

The Dangerous and Highly Competitive World of Victorian Orchid Hunting

Captain Cook’s Daisy

How Tomatoes Fend Off Parasitic Vines

Why Did People Start Growing Celery?

Why Some Rhubarb is Grown in the Dark

Astronauts Reveal Zinnia Blooms Grown in Space

Plants Fart in the Face of Danger

These Caterpillars Trick Plants With Their Poop

Poop-Like Plant Tricks Dung Beetles Into Burying Its Seeds

World's Oldest Flower Likely Lived Among the Dinosaurs

Some Plants Might Protect Themselves with Fake Spiderwebs