Articles for category: Ecology, Plants

Forest Sinkhole.

The Hidden Forests Growing Inside Sinkholes in China

Trizzy Orozco

Imagine descending into a vast, gaping hole in the earth—only to find yourself in a lush, secret world where ancient trees tower overhead, rare plants thrive in silence, and sunlight filters down in golden beams. In the limestone heartlands of China, enormous sinkholes are not just geological curiosities—they are gateways to some of the planet’s ...

The Tree That Owns Itself: A Legal Mystery in a Living Organism

The Tree That Owns Itself: A Legal Mystery in a Living Organism

Annette Uy

Imagine a tree so special that it’s not just rooted in the earth, but in the very heart of a legal legend—a living being that, according to local lore, owns itself. This isn’t the plot of a whimsical children’s book, but a real tale that has fascinated scientists, historians, and dreamers for over a century. ...

snail moss

Moss That Moves (Very Slowly) to Avoid the Shade

Trizzy Orozco

Imagine a plant that, when faced with the creeping shadow of a tree or rock, quietly inches away—almost imperceptibly—toward the sunlight. It sounds like something out of a fantasy novel, but in the mysterious world of mosses, some species have evolved this astonishing ability. While most plants are rooted in place and must endure whatever ...

Glow-in-the-Dark Mushrooms Are Lighting Up Malaysian Forests Like Fairy Villages

Glow-in-the-Dark Mushrooms Are Lighting Up Malaysian Forests Like Fairy Villages

Annette Uy

Imagine wandering through a moonlit Malaysian rainforest, where the darkness is not empty but alive with a gentle, otherworldly glow. Delicate clusters of mushrooms glimmer like scattered lanterns, transforming the forest floor into a scene from a storybook. This is not a fantasy. In the humid, shadowy depths of Malaysia’s jungles, glow-in-the-dark mushrooms are creating ...

The Corpse Flower That Smells Like Rotting Flesh to Attract Pollinators

The Corpse Flower That Smells Like Rotting Flesh to Attract Pollinators

Annette Uy

Imagine stepping into a lush rainforest, the air thick with the scent of earth and foliage—only to be suddenly hit by an overwhelming stench of decaying flesh. It’s not the aftermath of a tragedy, but rather one of nature’s most astonishing spectacles: the blooming of the corpse flower. This botanical marvel shocks and fascinates with ...

Capture of a vast desert landscape with prominent saguaro cacti under clear skies.

Arizona’s Saguaro Cactus Can Punch You Back — Kind Of

Trizzy Orozco

Imagine wandering through the sun-baked deserts of Arizona, the sky blindingly blue overhead, and all around you stand the silent giants of the Southwest — saguaros. Towering and stoic, these cacti seem serene, even welcoming. But what if I told you that the iconic saguaro might not be as passive as it looks? In fact, ...

A Slow Embrace: The Tentacles Move In

Sticky Science: The Biochemistry of the Sundew’s Deadly Goo

Trizzy Orozco

Imagine walking through a misty bog, sunlight glinting off mysterious plants that seem to sparkle with morning dew. But don’t be fooled—what glistens on the sundew’s leaves is not water, but a deadly trap. For centuries, these delicate-looking plants have lured, trapped, and digested their prey with a silent but ruthless efficiency. The secret to ...

The Global Perspective: Singapore's Role

How a City-State Became One of the Best Places in the World to Be a Plant

Trizzy Orozco

Imagine a place where skyscrapers gleam, bustling streets wind through futuristic neighborhoods—and yet, plants thrive like nowhere else on Earth. At first glance, a hyper-modern city-state may seem an unlikely paradise for flora. Yet, in the heart of Asia, Singapore has defied the odds to become a botanical wonderland, blending urban innovation with lush, living ...