Botany

Recent 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 American Civil War.

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.

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.

Flamboyant flowers of wonderful colors, shape and form dominate the Saudi Arabian desert in springtime. The "barren" terrain is teeming with unique flora 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.

Forsythia is an ornamental shrub that produces beautiful and abundant yellow flowers in late winter and early spring. The plant is named after William Forsyth, an eighteenth-century horticulturist.

It is said that the “Speed” kills, but in terms of well-fed future and better plant’s productivity to survive drought conditions, then Speed is the key solution. The climate change and the growing human population have increased questions to future global food security.

The Himalayan blackberry is a beautiful plant in spring and summer. It produces delicious blackberries, but it's an invasive species and grows aggressively.

The bunya pine produces huge and often very heavy cones. Its large seeds are both edible and tasty. The tree has a strange appearance and some unusual features.

The monkey puzzle tree is a very strange and interesting plant. It's native to South America but grows in parks and gardens in other areas as an introduced plant.

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.

The hedge bindweed or morning glory twines around other plants and interferes with their growth. Bindweed produces large and beautiful flowers in summer.

Trees are so much more than plants waiting to be turned into building materials and paper.

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.

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

Foxgloves are beautiful but poisonous flowers in the wild and in the garden. They contain digitalis, which is a useful heart medication but can also be dangerous.

Horse chestnut trees are beautiful ornamental plants. They produce a nut-like seed called a conker that is used to play a traditional game known as conkers.