75% of the world’s diet is produced from just 12 plants and five different animal species.
100 Mind-Blowing Plants Facts
Fungus are more closely related to animals on a genetic level than they are to plants.
Not only plants photosynthesise. Algae (which are not plants) and some other organisms – including sea slugs and pea aphids – contain chlorophyll and can also take sunlight and turn it into an energy source.
Plants came before seeds. According to the fossil record, early plants resembled moss and reproduced with single-celled spores. Multicellular seeds didn’t evolve for another 150 million years.
Brazil boasts the most biodiversity of any country on the planet, with more than 50,000 species of plants and trees.
A plant or animal cell that has a membrane and a nucleus is called a eukaryote. All animals, plants and fungi fall into this category.
Jellyfish almost caused mass nuclear explosions in 2013. In the extremely warm summer of 2013, several nuclear power plants across the world were forced to close down because of jellyfish. The sudden increase in jellyfish clogged the filters that cooled down the reactors, which led to the power plants being shut down for immediate maintenance and safety measures.
Moon Trees are a thing. No, it’s not another edgy underground indie band, but one of the endless fun facts about plants: Moon trees were sprouted from tree seeds that were flown to the moon, and then planted on the Earth. 500 seeds were taken from 5 different seed types to orbit around the moon. They were later planted around the U.S. and a few other countries.
Hundreds of rare animals and plants thrive on the North Korea-South Korea border. The Korean Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) is 155 miles of untouched land that separates North and South Korea. In these heavily fortified fences, several endangered animal and plant species thrive. Ecologists identified around 2,900 plant species, 70 mammal species, and 320 bird species in this narrow buffer zone.
12 plants and 5 animals make up 75% of diets around the world. The United Nations Food and Agricultural Organisation states that this lowers major health risks. By concentrating our diets on this specific group, we become more resilient to diseases, pests, and climate change.
A Poison Garden in England is filled with venomous plants. The Alnwick Garden is a garden complex by Alnwick Castle in Northumberland, England. These historic gardens were revived at some point, and a Poison Garden was added in 2005.
Plants prevent erosion and landslides. They can do this by keeping the soil around them firm with their roots. Crops such as rye and clover are good choices for erosion control.
Nicotine is poisonous to insects. The tobacco plant has a power neurotoxin that is dangerous for insects. While many other plants also have this, the concentration of nicotine in the tobacco plant is much higher than any other.
The scientific name used for flowering plants is Angiosperm. This name refers to the seeds that are borne in capsules or fruits. This group consists of many plants such as shrubs, grass, and most trees.
A plant that consumes rats can be found in the Philippines. Scientists discovered this rat-eating pitcher plant in the Philippines in the year 2009. This newly discovered pitcher plant is considered one of the biggest carnivorous plants on the planet.
The smell of freshly cut grass is noted to be the grass screaming in distress. This smell is a chemical that grass uses to call other critters to come and rescue them. The chemical compounds that the plant releases can also be used to poison an enemy and alert surrounding plants.
Children are more often poisoned by house plants rather than household chemicals. The poisoning could occur from eating or touching the leaves, roots, or berries. Having skin contact with the plant’s sap or juices could also cause poisoning. Some cases also occur when children drink water that comes from the plant tray.
Over 70,000 plant species are medicinal. These plant species provide herbal remedies needed for certain ailments. Ginger, onion, and oregano are a few plants that have a purpose beyond our kitchens and culinary ventures.
Mushrooms aren’t plants. Mushrooms belong to the kingdom Fungi, which also includes yeasts, rust, mildew, and mould. Mushrooms are often confused for plants because of their plantlike form.
The majority of plant life is located in the ocean. There are around a total of 228, 450 known species in the ocean and around 2 million more species are left undiscovered. Most of the plants found in the ocean are kelp, seaweed, seagrass, and algae. Marine plants are divided into 3 categories, euphotic/sunlit, dispothic/twilight, and aphotic/midnight.
Flowers grow faster with music. We’ve all encountered the age-old question of, “Do plants have feelings?” Fellows with a green thumb would argue yes, but it’s still being studied in science. However, plants have been shown to respond to certain stimuli in the most interesting ways. For example, playing a lullaby to plants makes them grow faster. However, they tend to wilt or die with heavier music. Plants may or may not have feelings, but they sure are gentle souls.
Nutmeg can be poisonous. Who doesn’t love a little nutmeg in their hot chocolate? It may seem unlikely, but in certain amounts, nutmeg can be fatal to humans. Compared to other plants and herbs, nutmeg contains higher amounts of a narcotic substance called myristicin. Consuming more than 1 teaspoon of ground nutmeg at once can cause side effects such as wild hallucinations, nausea, vomiting, dizziness, and a syncopated heartbeat. In large amounts, it can also lead to organ failure.
Plants do a lot for your room aside from making you happier. Rooms with plants have up to 60% less airborne mould and bacteria.
Plants were formed before seeds. Moss-like plants most likely reproduced with single-celled spores. Then 150 million years later, multicellular seeds finally began to evolve.
Butterflies can taste with their feet, using something called chemoreceptors to help them identify plants. Females select the correct leaf on which to lay eggs by “drumming” it with their feet to release juices.
Elephants only eat plants, so they are herbivores. They eat grasses, bamboo, flowers, seeds, fruits, leaves and other plant matter.
In warmer months, reindeer feast on grasses, mushrooms and plants. In the winter they feast mainly on moss and lichen. Reindeer have a strong sense of smell, which helps them sniff out food underneath layers of snow.
Atacama is the driest place on Earth. The Atacama Desert, located in South America, is widely considered to be the driest place on Earth, outside of the Antarctic dry valleys. This vast expanse of land spans over 100,000 sq km and receives an average of less than 1 mm of rainfall per year. The harsh climate of the Atacama is due to a combination of factors including its location in a rain shadow caused by the Andes mountains, the presence of the cold Humboldt Current offshore and a lack of moisture-bearing winds. Despite its arid conditions, the Atacama is home to several unique species of plants and animals that have adapted to survive in this harsh environment. The desert is also known for its stunning landscapes, including salt flats, geysers and towering volcanoes – making it a popular destination for adventurous travellers.
There are an estimated 8.7 million species of living things on Earth, and humans are only one of them. This number includes animals, plants, fungi, protozoa, and algae.
FORESTS ARE HOME TO OVER 80% OF THE WORLD’S LAND-BASED SPECIES OF ANIMALS, PLANTS AND INSECTS. These animals help to keep the forest healthy. For example, elephants distribute seeds from fruits they have eaten. When the seeds pass through their gut, they come out undigested in their dung, and germinate in the ground.
There are over 1,200 different species of animals and plants on British beaches. There are lots of wildlife along British coastlines. There are over 1,200 different species of animals and plants. Next time you take a trip to the beach, see how many you can spot!
Vegetables aren’t a distinct scientific category. The word is a broad culinary term for non-sweet parts of edible plants.
Japanese square watermelons are ornamental plants and are not edible.
Meat processing company JBS was the victim of a ransomware attack that shut down beef and poultry processing plants on four different continents. (Wall Street Journal)
The Alnwick Garden in the UK also known as Poison Garden has more than 100 varieties of toxic and intoxicating plants.