Botany

Learn facts about the six hardest trees in the world. You'll also learn about the Janka test, a method of testing wood's hardness.

Japanese knotweed has some interesting features. Outside of its native habitat, it's often classified as invasive and a major nuisance that needs to be removed.

The coastal section of the Pacific Northwest area of North America has beautiful flowers in spring. I show and describe ten of these interesting species.

This article showcases 10 of the most beautiful plants in the world. Read on to find a rainbow-colored tree and stone-like succulent plants.

Amaryllis plants are ornamental plants popular for their bright colors and large flowers. The amaryllis varieties bloom in beautiful colors of red, white, pink, and salmon. These plants are easy to grow and provide weeks of bloom time indoors as potted plants or cut flowers.

There are 13 native species of milkweed that occur in Ohio. This guide will help you to identify them.

Caffeine is a potentially useful chemical for humans and has interesting actions in our body. It can also help bumblebees deal with a harmful fungal infection.

This article provides information on Michigan's commonest conifer trees other than the spruces or pines, including the White and Red Cedars, the White and Balsam Firs, the Hemlock, and the Tamarack (Larch) tree. Quality photos assist with identification.

This article gives facts about the Desert Rose, including how to care for the plant.

Identifying 4 most common Michigan spruce trees shared with the Central and Northeastern regions of the United States and Canada. Includes, the Norway Spruce, White Spruce, Black Spruce and Blue Spruce. Quality photos and photo-drawings assist identification.

Catnip contains nepetalactone. The chemical repels mosquitoes by affecting their TRPA1 channels. We contain these channels as well, but catnip doesn’t affect them.

The definition of the term "native plant" can seem very complicated, but there are some elements that help to keep it simple. The "official" definitions of native plants that come from official agencies all seem to have three basic elements in common.

Trees are among the world's tallest living things, reaching heights of over 100 meters. The importance of these organisms is as the primary source of our sustenance: food, oxygen, shelter, woods, etc. This article will teach you some interesting facts about trees that you may not have known before.

This article includes images, photos, facts, and scientific names of the most beautiful flowers found in the Philippines.

Avocado trees produce appealing and nutritious fruits. The plants have some interesting botanical features, and their historical background is intriguing.

Everywhere we turn during the spring season, we are filled with awe just to see all the beautiful blossoms on the luxurious trees and showy shrubs! The following article features the most popular varieties with gorgeous photos, interesting facts, and growing tips. Be inspired!

Willows are lovely plants with interesting features and uses. They make salicin, the forerunner of aspirin, and miyabeacin, which may fight some types of cancer.

The Persian silk tree is a deciduous, fast-growing tree with a spreading umbrella-like crown. It is well-known for its beautiful foliage and flowers. Read on to know more about the Persian silk tree.

Learn the four different functions of roots, the different parts of roots, and their importance in human life. Also explore how water is absorbed by plants' roots, as well as some unusual types of specialized root systems.

Learn the different types of plants (Kingdom Plantae) and what phylum they belong to. This article also includes each type's characteristics, plantae examples, and importance to the economy and the environment.

Goat's rue contains a chemical called galegine. Studying galegine enabled scientists to create a medication called metformin, which has multiple methods of action.

Maple trees belong to the genus Acer and family Sapindaceae. Maple trees are admired for their stunning display of fall leaf colors. This article is an in-depth look at the red maple, sugar maple, and silver maple trees.

Do you think your barbeque mushroom skewer is safe? Alright, it is. But those delicious caps have some pretty badass cousins.

The American sweet gum (Liquidambar styraciflua) is a popular ornamental tree. Its leaves are a lovely colour in autumn, but its spiky fruits may cause problems.

Water hyacinth is a beautiful and invasive plant that causes major problems. It has the ability to act as a great biofuel, especially when combined with cow dung.

Trees are so much more than plants waiting to be turned into building materials and paper. This article will explore the secret world of trees, a natural ecosystem in which trees communicate with each other and their environment.

What is pollination? How does pollination occur? Does pollen serve a useful purpose or does it just make people sneeze? What is the difference between self-pollination and cross-pollination? What are pollinators? These are some of the many questions gardeners, kids and others have about pollination.

Research has shown that four plant extracts inhibit the growth of some dangerous bacteria in the lab. Three of them may have been helpful during the Civil War in America.

I am in awe of our world of nature, particularly the tree kingdom. Visit any local arboretum and just experience them and you will think twice about the legacy you leave. Don't litter, be kind to the earth and appreciate what you have.

Flamboyant flowers of wonderful colors, shape and form dominate the Saudi Arabian desert in springtime. The "barren" terrain is teeming with unique floras that delight not only plant enthusiasts but also anyone who has an eye for nature. You'll be surprised to know their great benefits, too.

A humble, misunderstood, and unappreciated vegetable, the rutabaga needs a spin doctor to improve its image; I am not here to provide that service.

Jackfruit trees produce huge fruits. Cacao seeds are used to make cocoa, but the trees are in trouble. Jackfruit seed powder may be a good substitute for cocoa.

Western red cedar (or redcedar) is a common and interesting tree in the Pacific Northwest area of North America. It was once important in First Nations culture.

This article covers how the pineapple caused a sensation when introduced to Europeans in the late 1400s, and why the love and fascination for the fruit hasn't diminished to the present day.

Plants are a beautiful part of nature and a benefit to life on earth. They affect the food supply and the air we breathe. The Manchineel Tree is a poisonous example of plant life. Marked in the Guinness World Book of Records as the most dangerous tree on earth, one bite of its fruit may be fatal.

The fate of an American landmark is one of the saddest stories in recent history. The American Chestnut tree was an integral part of the forest landscape when settlers arrived on American shores. However after a airborne virus was introduced, the trees were wiped out by the billions.

Ferns are attractive plants with interesting features. They exist in wild and cultivated forms. The western sword fern is a common plant in coastal British Columbia.

TheCereus repandus f. Monstrosa or Monstrose Apple Cactus as it is commonly known is found in gardens in Arizona and for a month in the Spring each year produces beautiful flowers, each lasting one day, for about a month.

The Abutilon menziesii is a native plant in Hawaii, endemic and federally listed as a critically endangered species with only about 500 plants remaining in fewer than 10 naturally-occurring populations throughout the Hawaiian islands. This sprawling shrub is known as Koʻoloa ʻula in Hawaii.

Lovely English and Spanish bluebells and hybrids between the two species live in British Columbia and Britain. The plants are experiencing or causing a problem.

Hellebores bloom in late winter and spring. The flowers are a lovely sight in gardens and landscaped areas. Lenten and Christmas roses are types of hellebores.

Are plants alive? Are you sure your houseplants are not hearing and discussing you? Find out the facts behind the concept of living vegetation.

The carnauba palm and the candelilla shrub are interesting plants that produce a useful wax. Many people are exposed to the wax via products that they buy.

Salvias are a lovely,elegant, upright flower that hummingbirds love and bees find beneficial. They hail from all over the world and are full of surprises. Read on to find out more.

Dandelions are loved by some and disliked by others, as if their destiny was framed by divergent parallel universes. In what universe are you? You might think twice after reading this article.

Wild relatives of agricultural crops are in trouble, which could be a major problem. The genetic diversity in wild crops may provide food security for the future.

Many species of plants living in nutrient poor environments utilise animals such as insects to derive nutrients. A variety of trap designs for capturing and killing insects have evolved in plants.

Aloe vera the miracle plant. A history and biology of this gift of nature.

Whether you love it, hate it, or don’t know much about it, marijuana is becoming a part of many American’s lives. It's legal in many states for medical and recreational usage.

Sunflowers are large, daisy-like flowers that open up to reveal hundreds of seeds in the middle. When you see a sunflower in your garden, you know that summer has finally arrived.