Plant Facts

Hollyhock (Alcea rosea) © Andia / UIG / Getty

Why do flowers point up or down?

Psychedelic mushrooms Psilocybe cyanescens. © Nathan Griffith/Getty

Why are some mushrooms magic?

Trees with submerged roots develop snorkel-like structures known as pneumatophores © Auscape/ Getty

What are tree snorkels?

Sunrise over bluebells in Warwickshire © Ben Waters/Getty

Top places to see bluebells

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People & Wildlife

Life lines in the British countryside

Tiffany Francis with gorse bush

The art of foraging, with a recipe for hawthorn vinegar

With careful counting, it’s possible to judge how old a tree was when it was felled. © DEA/G. Cigolini/Getty

What can tree rings tell us, apart from age?

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What is an ancient woodland indicator?

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Big blue surprise

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Why conservationists are rallying around this young botanist

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115 new species found in Southeast Asia

Silhouetted bare ash tree at sunset. © Henry Arden/Getty

British trees in folklore

Thrift, or Sea Pink, Armeria maritima, flowering on on cliffs at Thurlestone, Devon, Great Britain.

How does thrift survive life on salty cliffs?

Bladderwrack is a seaweed which is rich in iodine, so extracts from it are sold in health food stores to support a healthy thyroid.

Does bladderwrack always have bladders?