The Week in Botany
The Week in Botany May 25, 2026
This week: Flower economics, the Columbian Exchange, an interview with Dr Damilola Olanipon and more.
Plant of the Week
Cercis canadensis
The Eastern Redbud is a rare beauty in temperate climates
Science Shared
Science Shared: May 23
This week: Ecology, C4 photosynthesis, cross kingdom communication and more.
Ecosystems
The Silent Partner: The Real Value of Pollination in Daily Life
Pollinators are a vital link between biodiversity and human health, securing both essential nutrients and family livelihoods. While their decline threatens to deepen poverty and malnutrition, protecting local plant diversity offers a sustainable path to resilience.
Growth & Development
The Hidden Economics of Flowers
By comparing flowers and leaves across 245 species, researchers reveal that flowers follow hidden water-use strategies shaped by the same environmental pressures as the rest of the plant.
Meeting Plant Scientists
Damilola Olanipon: "Making the Invisible Visible"
Botany One interviews Dr Damilola Olanipon, a plant and microbial ecologist investigating the hidden fungal networks that connect plants, support forests, and help regulate Earth’s climate.
Growth & Development
Primed Plants are Prime Plants
From ancient Roman seed-soaking recipes to modern nanopriming, seed priming could help crops germinate faster and survive drought, heat and salinity in a changing climate.
Plants & People
How American Crops Changed Europe
Archeobotany and historical records show how American plants travelled
The Week in Botany
The Week in Botany May 18, 2026
This week: How the extraordinary biodiversity of the Tropical Andes emerged through rapid and complex evolutionary processes.
Plant of the Week
Aphyllon franciscanum
Yellow Clustered Broomrape with where the yellow is optional.
Puzzles
Plant Hunt
🇳🇴 Constitution Day in Norway
Science Shared
Science Shared: May 16
This week: hybrids everywhere, plasmodesmata in many places, and more.