Botany

Heavy rains have set the Southern California desert near San Diego on fire — with wildflowers. The phenomenon known as a "super bloom" is peaking for the next few weeks.

By John Perritano

We may not be able to judge a book by its cover, but plants? A smartphone app has that covered.

By Laurie L. Dove

Saying what the oldest thing alive is can be tough, because you have to define "alive" as well as "thing." But still, this Greek tree's got serious years.

By Christopher Hassiotis

Are trees and shrubs as cute as pandas? As awe-inspiring as whales? Maybe not, but many are in danger of going the way of the dodo — just like countless leafy greens before them. Learn about some amazing plants we lost to history.

By Clint Pumphrey

Amazing images of the current wildflower "super bloom" in the desert park, a once-in-a-decade occurrence that can happen in El Nino years.

By Christopher Hassiotis

A newly discovered plant on a subtropical Japanese island survives without sunlight, and only rarely rears its head above ground. How is that possible?

By Laurie L. Dove

Orchids might be the sexiest flower in the greenhouse. Its very name comes from the Greek word for "testicle!" And its reproduction methods are pretty exotic too.

By Alia Hoyt

Thinking allows us to solve problems, plan ahead and defend ourselves from outside threats. It's what separates us from "lower" life-forms like plants, right? Well, maybe not.

By Laurie L. Dove

Though they may be stuck in one place, plants have proven to possess a surprising array of capabilities. But the ability to feel pain? Scientists are learning that the possibility isn't as crazy as it sounds.

By Laurie L. Dove

The Titan Arum is also known as the "corpse flower" because of its rotting-flesh scent. The flower rarely blossoms, even in the wild. See pictures of the corpse flower in this gallery.

By Julie Douglas

Pollen grains are, in essence, plant sperm. But how do the grains get where they need to go, and what's the advantage of trusting your genetic future to the winds?

By Jessika Toothman

If you like poppies, you're in good company -- they're the favored flower of the Greek goddess Demeter. Learn more about poppy flowers in this article.

By HowStuffWorks.com Contributors

Urushiol is the active chemical in poison ivy. Learn more about urushiol and how to properly remove poison ivy.

By HowStuffWorks.com Contributors

Many people think of cinnamon simply as a condiment that makes sweet treats taste even better, but the spice has had many, diverse uses over time. Could it have some medicinal properties, too?

By Diana Bocco

How can something as delicate and delicious as a cranberry thrive in something as filthy as a bog? Blame it on the durability of this most unusual and hardy plant.

By Russel Avery

They call kudzu the plant that ate the South for a reason. How did this leafy green legume make its way here all the way from Asia, and how has it managed to devour entire buildings?

By Victoria Vogt

The corpse flower looks like a giant phallus and smells like a rotting animal, the perfect addition to any garden. So how can gardeners get their gloved hands on one of these unique specimens? Or can they?

By Jonathan Atteberry

For Jack and his beanstalk, the sky was the limit, but nature's giants hit a point at which they can't grow any taller. What prevents lofty trees like sequoias from soaring any higher?

By Jacob Silverman

Ten-tier wedding cakes, bagels slathered with cream cheese and slim, crusty baguettes -- we owe them all to wheat. What's the story behind this ancient, ubiquitous food crop?

By Robert Lamb

Have you ever suspected your neighbor was up to something illegal? He's always home and he gets midnight deliveries. Doesn't he have a job? Maybe he does, just not the kind you think.

By Robert Lamb

Poison ivy is often very difficult to spot. But if you come into contact with it, you'll soon know by the itchy, blistery rash that forms on your skin. Learn how poison ivy causes that rash, and how to get rid of it.

By Stephanie Wilson

Plants that eat other creatures? It sounds like a genetic experiment gone awry. But there's actually nothing unnatural about it; carnivorous plants have been around for thousands of years. Find out all about the Venus Flytrap.

By Ann Meeker-O'Connell

Nature uses color in lots of different ways. Find out why some types of cabbage are purple and what this means.

How can the grass on the greens at a golf course be so perfect? What are they doing that's different from a normal lawn? Could my lawn look like this?

There is a good chance that if you go to the grocery store and buy a bunch of grapes that they will be of the seedless variety. If the grapes are seedless, how are they able to produce new grapes? Find out the answer to that question in this article.