Close Encounters
Urban hummingbirds opportunistically sip nectar from both native and non-native flowers to survive year-round, though their thieving ways may limit the spread of those alluring alien blooms
Ecosystems
Researchers found that plant species with certain traits, like longer bloom periods and efficient resource utilisation, are more likely to successfully thrive in foreign environments.
Growth & Development
New research reveals how heatwaves and drought together can rapidly and irreversibly damage flowers through a process called runaway cavitation.
Ecosystems
Research found that combining native prairie plants and Sedum species on green roofs enhances stormwater capture, cooling, and thermal insulation compared to using Sedum alone.
Plants & People
The use of human excrement as plant fertiliser is gaining popularity as a cost-effective and environmentally-friendly alternative to synthetic fertilisers.
Cells, Genes & Molecules
The parasitic dodder weed doesn’t just sap soybean’s strength alone – it lets in fungal gatecrashers like Alternaria too, despite soybean’s attempts to biochemically barricade its roots with flavonoids.
Cells, Genes & Molecules
Plants at the edge of populations have to share genes with more distant neighbours to produce offspring, and that can have benefits.
Ecosystems
Giant tortoises reintroduced to Galapagos’ Española Island are engineering the ecosystem by reducing trees, aiding cactus regeneration, and creating nesting grounds for the waved albatross.
Reviews
Peter Wohlleben takes a very human look at trees, but is it too human?
Plants & People
Does it matter how green a city is if you can’t see any green where you are?
News in Brief
Scientists have found urban cooling solutions in the ancient wisdom of classical Chinese gardens, whose large green spaces and water features create wider cooling zones.
Plants & People
Turning campus dirt into communal garden plots transforms universities into hubs of positive environmental change from the ground up.