The plant kingdom is vast, mysterious and sometimes, magical. We bring parts of it to our homes, in our offices, our bedrooms, our gardens and in our environment. Plants have become an almost salient part of our lives, benefitting our way of life and reminding us the importance of nature. But another aspect of the plant kingdom is that it can be vastly surprising. And that’s exactly what this list is about. If you think you know everything about flora, even then this list may surprise you! So, read on and keep discovering.
1) Astounding amount of edible species:
Did you know that there are over 80,000 species of edible plants on our planet? That’s right! If you think that you’ve tried many varieties, you probably still haven’t tried them all. These are numerous varieties of fruits, vegetables,herbs, spices and even flowers that are native and unique to almost every corner of the world.
2) Numerous medicinal plants on the planet:
From the edible plants, we come to the medicinal plants. And even there, there are many many species that we use. Over 70,000 to be exact. Most of these are used as forms of traditional medicines. But that’s not all. Even modern medicine isn’t exempted from this fact. Half of the total drugs and medicines prescribed in the United States have plant origins. Most of these come out of rainforests. It is here that a question of sustainable use arises and should be raised.
3) Plants know their brothers and sisters (and even cousins):
Yes, plants can tell when they are growing in the vicinity of their siblings. And not just that, they then give these plants preferential treatment as well! That means that they don’t compete with them too much for resources, they allow space for roots to grow and they even “protect them from strangers” that are growing around them. Even with plants it seems, family comes first!
4) Plants can guide you (just like a compass!):
You can use trees as your compass! How? Well, in Northern Temperate climates the moss that grows on tree trunks will grow on the northern side because that’s where it is shady. So you can use that to guide your navigation. Also, another thing that you can use to guide you are the rings that you can see on a tree that has been cut down. These rings end up being thicker on the southern side when the tree is somewhere in the northern hemisphere. This is because the southern side receives more sunlight. And the reverse is true for the southern hemisphere. You can grow trees by buying tree seeds online.
5) Plants that are out of this world:
An island called Socotra near Yemen in the Middle East, a collection of the strangest plants have developed. One-third of the plants found here actually aren’t found anywhere else in the world, and it’s known as the “most alien planet like a place on Earth.” Know about these 10 unusual looking plants. So, there you have it! Five facts that you (probably) didn’t know about plants. Which one was your favourite? Let us know in the comments!
