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The Earth we’re living on is full of awe-inspiring stories.
Just like plants, they possess amazing characteristics that many of us are unaware of.
In this blog, join me as we unravel mind-blowing facts that will challenge our perceptions.
5 Mind-Blowing Facts About Plants
1. Some plants are carnivorous
What do people usually think?
People usually imagine that plants are only photosynthetic and need sunlight for energy and nutrients. We thought that plants do not “eat” animals.
Little did you know that there are plants that eat animals, also known as carnivores.
Here is the astonishing reality:
According to Britannica, a carnivorous plant is specially designed to capture and digest insects and other small animals using clever traps and mechanisms.
Pitfall traps, like those in pitcher plants, are some of the most common trap types. Some carnivorous plants can use enzymes or bacteria to break down their prey chemically, in a process similar to how animals digest food.
One example of a carnivorous plant is the Nepenthes, a type of pitcher plant that uses pitfall traps to hunt its prey.
2. A single plant can produce millions of seeds
What do people usually think?
Many people assume that plants don’t make an excessive number of seeds. They produce just enough to ensure their genes are carried on to the next generation.
However, the fact is, a single plant can produce millions of seeds.
Here is the astonishing reality:
Some plants are capable of producing millions of seeds.
Orchids and certain trees are especially known for their abundant seed production.
For instance, Penn State University notes that a single tree-of-heaven (Ailanthus) can generate millions of seeds over its lifetime.
However, some plants are also non-seed plants, meaning they do not produce such seeds. For instance, plants like ferns and mosses reproduce through spores rather than seeds.
3. Some plants can revive themselves after years without water.
What do people usually think?
Just like humans and animals, plants also need water, and everyone thinks they can’t survive without it. Also, once a plant withers, it’s often assumed it might completely die.
But surprisingly, they can sometimes come back to life full of vitality!
Here is the astonishing reality:
There are many resurrection plants on the green planet, and one of them is the true “Rose of Jericho” (Anastatica hierochuntica).
According to the House Plant Resource Center, the Rose of Jericho is more than a plant because it can revive itself and come to life after its appearance shows signs of drying out or dying.
This plant grows like little white flowers when fully hydrated, but it must root in soil to revive.
However, there is also another “Rose of Jericho,” also known as a false “Rose of Jericho,” or dinosaur plant. This plant naturally grows in the Chihuahuan Desert, spanning parts of Mexico, New Mexico, and Arizona.
Similar to the true Rose of Jericho, it can completely dry out and roll across the ground until it encounters water, at which point it springs back to life.
What makes this plant popular is that it’s far easier to find than the true Rose of Jericho, and it’s more affordable, visually appealing, and low-maintenance. Unlike its namesake, the false Rose of Jericho doesn’t need to be rooted in soil to revive; simply adding water brings it back.
Interestingly, Selaginella lepidophylla isn’t a rose at all; it’s a type of spike moss! Fascinatingly, two very different plants have developed nearly identical survival strategies.
There are plants, referred to as “zombie plants” or resurrection plants, that have an extraordinary survival trick. According to the BBC, when faced with extreme dryness, they don’t die; instead, they shut down and become dormant.
Additionally, these plants can dry up for months, shrivel into a ball, but once water touches them, they quickly revive, open up, and get back to their usual functions within just a few hours.
Scientists are now studying this fascinating trait, as it could offer insights into helping crops endure drought conditions.
4. Some plants can clone themselves.
What do people usually think?
Many people think that some trees cannot clone or reproduce on their own, suggesting the intriguing possibility that they might not be able to truly “live forever.”
You might not believe this, but plants can regenerate on their own!
Here is the astonishing reality:
The Michigan State University report states that plants generate new growth that is genetically identical to the parent plant.
These clones serve as the main way for certain common forest and landscape species to regenerate.
A clone of a plant is a natural method of reproducing genetically identical copies of plants, which allows them to persist for longer years, such as grass, potatoes, and other root crops.
5. Some seeds can stay alive for thousands of years.
What do people usually think?
Numerous people have the misconception that since humans and animals can only live for a few hundred years, the same must be true for seeds, especially since they wither so easily.
But seeds aren’t like that, because some can live and remain on Earth for thousands of years!
Here is the astonishing reality:
According to National Geographic, certain seeds can stay viable, that is, capable of germinating, for thousands of years.
For example, the seeds of Silene stenophylla discovered in Siberian permafrost by a Russian team were carbon-dated to approximately 32,000 years old and have been successfully grown.
Likewise, date palm seeds uncovered in the ruins of King Herod’s palace, estimated to be 2,000 years old, also germinated.
Mind-Blowing Facts Wrap-up
It is truly amazing to think that nature is full of wonders.
Who would have thought that some of these plants are carnivorous, like the Nepenthes, and can resurrect themselves like the Rose of Jericho after many years of being dead!
So if you were given the chance to be a human or a plant instead, which would you choose?
