Botany

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?

How does hemp work? What do rope and "organic clothes" and drugs have to do with each other?

A fair number of cartoons feature "Mexican jumping beans." For example, Speedy Gonzalez is trying to outwit a foe and uses Mexican jumping beans to escape. What I want to know is: Are Mexican jumping beans for r

If you've heard of frankincense and myrrh, it's probably because you're familiar with the biblical account of Jesus' birth. But have you ever wondered what exactly it was the three wise men gifted Christ?

By Clint Pumphrey

Grass seed can grow just about anywhere, just as long as they have plenty of water and nutrients. Can grass grow on lava rocks as well as it can on soil, though? Find out the answer to this question in this article from HowStuffWorks.