Articles for tag: cactus

The Cactus That Shoots Its Seeds Like Tiny Cannons

The Cactus That Shoots Its Seeds Like Tiny Cannons

Annette Uy

What if I told you there’s a plant out there that doesn’t just quietly drop its seeds to the ground, but explodes them outward with the force of a miniature cannon? The world of cacti is already full of surprises: spines instead of leaves, strange shapes, and a knack for surviving where almost nothing else ...

Accordion Architecture: The Art of Expansion and Contraction

Cactus Logic: How Spines, Slime, and Shape Beat the Desert Heat

Annette Uy

Picture this: it’s 120°F in the Sonoran Desert, and while you’d be desperately searching for shade, a giant saguaro cactus stands tall, thriving in conditions that would send most plants into botanical shock. What if I told you that cacti have cracked the code to surviving Earth’s most brutal environments using engineering principles that would ...