Plants of Sítio Roberto Burle Marx

Jun 4 2019

Collectors

Roberto Burle Marx was an artist, a landscape architect and an early…


By Nicole Tarnowsky

Traditional Medicine: Momordica charantia

Sep 21 2020

Specimen Stories

Momordica charantia L. is a plant species that is used in the…


By Ina Vandebroek

Phytoremediation

Sep 25 2019

Phytoremediation is the process in which living plants are used to remove toxins,…


By Laura Briscoe, Leanna Feder

Fleshy Fruits

Nov 8 2022

In addition to being eaten straight from the tree or shrub, many…


By Emily B. Sessa

Tubers/Edible Roots

Nov 8 2022

Plants use underground storage structures such as corms, tubers, and rhizomes to…


By Emily B. Sessa

Nuts

Nov 8 2022

Pictured above are a few of the many species of nut-bearing trees…


By Emily B. Sessa

Lenape Plant Medicines

Nov 8 2022

Lenape healers or herbalists use a large number of plants for treating…


By Emily B. Sessa

Lenape Foodways

Nov 8 2022

The Lenape use hundreds of plants for food, including species that historically…


By Emily B. Sessa

Old Man's Beard: A Medicinal Lichen

Feb 7 2020

Focus on Science

Usnea is a genus of lichen, commonly known as Old Man’s Beard. …


By Ana Maria Ruiz

Okra’s journey to the United States

Jan 21 2022

Specimen Stories

Many culinary delights that Americans enjoy today, especially in the Southern United…


By Elizabeth A. Gjieli

Mulled Cider

Nov 18 2019

Specimen Stories

Put these fruits, seeds, bark, and flower buds together to get mulled…


By Amy Weiss

Fruits of Rosaceae

Apr 22 2023

Specimen Stories

Flowering plants differ from all other plants by producing seeds within fruits;…


By Amy Weiss

Season it with Leaves

Jul 14 2022

Specimen Stories

Culinary herbs are plants with aromatic properties and that are used for…


By Amy Weiss

Love Potions & Charms

Feb 6 2020

Specimen Stories

Love potions and charms are mentioned countless times throughout literature; from ancient…


By Leanna Feder

The Three Sisters

Oct 2 2020

Specimen Stories

Companion planting is the technique of growing plants closely together for mutual…


By Leanna Feder

Madagascar periwinkle

Feb 5 2019

Specimen Stories

Commonly known as Madagascar periwinkle, this member of the dogbane family has…


By Leanna Feder

Rice and its Wild Relatives

Sep 26 2019

Specimen Stories

Humans have been farming rice for approximately 10,000 years. The two major…


By Leanna Feder

Plant Inspired Innovations: Nepenthes and Slippery Liquid-Infused Porous…

Apr 13 2020

Focus on Science

Most plants absorb nutrients from the soil through their roots. Carnivorous plants…


By Lin Li

The Sacred Plant of Peru: The San Pedro…

Sep 25 2020

Specimen Stories

For thousands of years, the indigenous people of Peruvian Amazon have used…


By Lin Li

Rainbow of Plant Dyes

Aug 17 2020

Works of Art

People have been dyeing their clothing with plants since ancient times. All around…


By Sarah Dutton

Eight Days of Oil

Dec 16 2019

Specimen Stories

Oil has a special significance for those who celebrate Hanukkah. This Jewish…


By Sarah Dutton

Heard it through the grapevine

May 21 2019

Specimen Stories

Vitis is the genus of one of the world’s favorite horticultural crop:…


By Philip Evich

The Cotton Plant and Enslaved Labor

Feb 20 2020

The Cotton Plant (Gossypium) stood at the center of the most exploitative…


By Rashad Bell, Nuala Caomhanach

The Peanut Plant and a Black Genius

Feb 20 2020

“One reason I never patent my products is that if I did,…


By Rashad Bell, Nuala Caomhanach

The Rice Plant and Black Knowledge

Feb 20 2020

“The millions of Africans who were dragged to the New World were…


By Rashad Bell, Nuala Caomhanach

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