Plant Facts
This is the smallest flowering plant on the planet – and scientists just figured out how it got so tiny
There’s more to this tiny plant than meets the eye.
Satellite images show new “giant” plant growing in Colombian rainforest – it’s a whopper!
An expert from Kew Gardens saw an unfamiliar plant in photos on social media – and believed it could be a new species
The 40,000 seedlings bringing life back to Yosemite’s meadows
In 2016, conservationists started planted thousands of native seedlings in Yosemite’s Tuolumne Meadows. Ten years later, many of them are still alive and they're improving the health of the soil – slowly.
Scientists put tiny greenhouses over Antarctica’s only two flowering plants and left them there for 7 years. Here's why
A warming climate is forcing Antarctica’s native plants to adapt. Not only have they risen to the challenge, they’ve adapted in two different ways, according to a new study.
It can grow as tall as a 10-storey building and live for 400 years – and it's filled with tiny 'helicopters'
Meet the sycamore tree – a true giant of the forest.
What's new?
It can grow a mighty 91cm a day – and reach a staggering 30m tall
Did you know the fastest growing plant in the world can grow nearly a metre a day?
Trees can ooze a strange gum when under attack – and people have eaten it to survive
Intrigued by a jelly-like substance covering a tree? Botanist Phil Gates explains what it is and why it forms
Scientists just climbed 38 of the tallest trees in Borneo. What they found was staggering
Researchers have discovered that Borneo's enormous tropical trees have evolved remarkable ‘workarounds’ to protect themselves from drought.
It’s taller than the Statue of Liberty, older than the Roman Empire –and faces a deadly threat
3 trees in New Zealand’s Waipoua Forest were already ancient centuries before Europeans arrived on these shores.
Why do we grow old and die when some animals barely age and others can live forever?
Why do living things age? Does anything ever truly live forever? Evolutionary biologist and BBC Wildlife columnist JV Chamary explains the process of ageing.
Flowers
It's a gigantic 3 metres tall, reeks of rotten flesh and blooms for just 24 hours every 3 years
The world's smelliest plant draws in thousands of visitors, and often makes global headline news when it blooms
“It’s cloned itself to reach a whopping size of 77 square miles.” 6 biggest organisms on the planet including the Humongous Fungus
Whether it’s fungi, plants or animals, here are the biggest organisms found on Earth
"The poison is quick to act, but will result in a slow and painful death. Symptoms range from vomiting to paralysis…" 8 deadliest seeds on the planet
Beware of these tiny seeds as they're hiding deadly secrets.
Flowers
It might look like an insect, but this is no insect - it's flower hell-bent on deceiving males
Have you noticed some flowers look like insects? It's all to do with sexual deception says Phil Gates
Is this genius plant better at math than you? The answer is probably yes
The first informal use of Voronoi diagrams can be traced back to 1644 – but the Chinese money plant has had it figured out for much longer.
Which species are named after Sir David Attenborough? And how many of them are there?
Sir David Attenborough has over 50 species named after him, ranging from a prehistoric marine reptile to a native British flower only found in the Brecon Beacons of South Wales.
Fungi
“It creates tiny holes all over the skin, allowing deadly bacteria to invade the internal organs, causing septicaemia and death.”
Chytridiomycosis, also known as chytrid, is a deadly amphibian disease that has caused the decline of over 500 species around the world.
It lives in poop, detonates at 90kph and dubbed the 'dung cannon'
Fungi aren’t generally known for their speed, yet one group is quicker off the mark than perhaps any other organism on the planet, the Pilobolus crystallinus
"People once believed that fairy rings were dance floors for night- time fairies…" Just what is a fairy ring? And how do they form?
Just how and why do fairy rings form? We take a look
Fungi
"If inhaled it can cause high fever, extreme shortness of breath and pneumonia – up to 80% die without treatment." 8 deadliest spores on the planet
Most spores are harmless, but some are trouble. When they get into the body and become reanimated, they can release toxins, invade tissues and cause serious health problems.
Predators, prey and parasites discovered 1,640ft below North America's Great Lakes
A team of researchers from the University of Michigan has just discovered rocks and water teeming with fungi, segmented worms and 'water bears' hundreds of feet below Earth’s surface.
Researchers took moss from the Californian desert – and found something very weird (and tiny) in it
Mosses are known for their durability, able to survive anywhere from the peaks of the Himalayas or the sands of Death Valley, to the unforgiving vastness of space
Plant ID
Researchers discover 'devil flower' hidden beneath the forest floor in Thai national park
Thismia daemona spends most of its time beneath the ground feeding on fungi
Wild garlic guide: how to identify, when and how to forage, and recipe ideas
In the forager's calendar, spring is one of the best times – when wild garlic grows in shaded woodlands, filling the air with a light garlicky scent.
Wild roses and rosehips guide: how to identify, and how to make rosehip syrup
With its white-pink flowers in summer and bright red rosehips in autumn and winter, the dog rose is a familiar plant of our countryside.
Plant ID
How to identify non-native summer flowers
If you get the urge to gather a guilt-free garland of colourful midsummer blooms, these garden escapees may fit the bill. Naturalist and presenter Brett Westwood shares 12 for you to spot this summer.
Elder guide: how to identify, when and how to forage for elderflowers and elderberries, and recipe ideas
Elder has made the slow journey from protective mother-spirit to often being deemed as a hedgerow and garden weed, fit only to be sawn down.
How to identify common 'weeds'
‘Weeds’ are familiar plants to many of us, sprouting up and thriving on pavements and disturbed ground. Learn to identify 12 common species in this illustrated guide.
Trees
"Treetops appear to lock together like the pieces of a jigsaw puzzle, separated by channels of blue sky." Why do some trees refuse to touch each other?
Crown shyness is when one canopy of tree branches avoids touching another's canopy. Phil Gates explains more
"It's famous for the mighty river that snakes through its forests, but high above the canopy, another vast river is moving…" – Discover the Amazon's 'Flying River'
Here's how flying rivers in the Amazon contribute to moisture distribution across the continent
A great earthquake struck this mountain range – and created an underwater, eerie forest
This lake, deep in the Kazakhstani mountains, might be one of the most bizarre in the world
Trees
The strange island where trees bleed, deadly cucumber trees grow and nature has evolved in ways found nowhere else on Earth
Found at the entrance to the Gulf of Aden, Socotra island has the weirdest species
How do trees make it rain?
We take a look at the important role trees play in making it rain
This deadly tree is one of the most toxic on the planet, with just 50g of foliage able to kill a human within hours
Old and gnarled, yew trees are a familiar tree in our landscape and are often associated with churchyards. Our expert guide explores this native tree.
Water Plants
It’s 4,500 years old, 180km across and cloned itself from a single seedling – meet the largest, most humongous plant on the planet
discover the seagrass meadow that had been hiding a secret for thousands of years.
A giant 'horror movie' plant that can cause painful burns, eye damage and even blindness – with some effects persisting for months or years
You definitely don't want to go anywhere near this highly toxic plant. Here's what to look for and how to deal with it
The ocean's hidden, deadly killer: Why thriving seas can suddenly die and turn into mass underwater graveyards
Suffocated ecosystems, seizures and death: how deadly algae can wreak havoc on beaches around the world – and what can be done to prevent it
Water Plants
This extraordinary forest below the waves is the only one of its kind – and it’s home to one of the fastest-growing organisms on Earth
Stretching along South Africa’s rugged coastline lies one of the planet’s most extraordinary yet little-known ecosystems: the Great African Sea Forest
"Within a few hours the prey has become a nutritious soup, broken down by digestive enzymes released from the inside of its prison..."
The sinister secret of this free-floating pond plant lies beneath the water’s surface. Meet the bladderwort and its highly effective trap
What is seaweed and how does it differ to plants?
What exactly is seaweed? Is it a plant and how does it grow? Lara Howe, Marine Officer at Manx Wildlife Trusts, explains the mysteries of this slimy water plant
Wildlife Garden
Why do flowers point up or down?
Botanist Phil Gates discusses the adaptations of flowering plants.
Best plants to grow for pollinators in your wildlife garden
Dave Goulson, author of The Garden Jungle, reveals some of the best plants you can grow to give garden pollinators and other species a helping hand.
British wildlife in March
As spring brings an abundance of new life, it’s time to talk about the birds and the bee-flies. Here is selection of the month's best wildlife spectacles from around the British countryside in March.
Wildlife Garden
British wildlife in February
From fruiting fungus to winter birds, here is selection of the month's best wildlife spectacles from around the British countryside in February.
Best garden plants for wildlife
Discover the best plants to attract more wildlife and colour to your garden with our expert guide.
How to build and care for your wildlife pond
Ponds are one of the most important features to include in a wildlife-friendly garden as a huge variety of species depend on them. Learn how to care for your wildlife pond with our expert guide, including best pond plants to grow each season and how to attract more visitors to your pond.
