Fascinating botany facts and plant science: how plants communicate, defend themselves, smell, poison and survive for thousands of years.
From Methuselah, a 4,800-year-old bristlecone pine in California, to Britain's ancient churchyard yews and Utah's clonal aspen grove Pando, meet the oldest trees on Earth and learn how they live so long.
Venus flytraps count, pitcher plants drown and sundews glue their prey. Discover the five types of carnivorous plant traps, why these plants evolved to eat insects, and how to grow them at home.
Foxglove, lily of the valley, monkshood, yew and oleander are common in UK and US gardens – and seriously toxic. Learn how to identify 12 poisonous garden plants, their symptoms and how to keep children and pets safe.
Why does lavender smell calming, basil peppery and mint cool? Plant scents are chemical tools for defence, attracting pollinators and surviving heat. Discover terpenes, essential oils and the science of plant aroma.
Plants cannot talk, but they constantly exchange information through airborne chemicals, root exudates, electrical signals and fungal networks. Here is what science really knows about plant communication.
