30 Fascinating Plant Facts That Will Surprise You

Fact 1: The Wishbone Flower

Torenia, a shade-loving annual, is nicknamed the wishbone flower. Look inside its purple, blue, or burgundy petals to find tiny wishbone-shaped stamens. Learn more about wishbone flower.

Fact 2: Tallest vs. Oldest Trees

The coast redwood (Sequoia sempervirens) is the world’s tallest-growing tree, thriving along the Pacific Coast, mainly in California. Surprisingly, it’s not the oldest—that title belongs to the bristlecone pine (Pinus aristata). Try a fun seed-ball planting technique.

Fact 3: Bamboo’s Incredible Growth

Bamboo is the fastest-growing woody plant, capable of shooting up 35 inches in a single day. Learn more about bamboo plants.

Fact 4: Ohio’s State Beverage

Tomato juice is Ohio’s official state beverage, honoring A. W. Livingston of Reynoldsburg, who popularized the tomato in the late 1800s. Recipe: homemade tomato juice.

Fact 5: Ancient Winemaking

Archaeologists found evidence of grape cultivation for wine in Mesopotamia (modern Iraq) about 8,000 years ago. Ancient Egyptians first recorded the winemaking process around 5,000 years ago. Grow your own grapes.

Fact 6: Tulip Mania

In 1600s Holland, tulip bulbs were worth more than gold. The speculative frenzy, called “tulip mania,” crashed the Dutch economy. Cut tulips can continue growing an inch per day.

Fact 7: Vanilla’s Orchid Origin

Vanilla flavoring comes from the pod of the orchid Vanilla planifolia. Though called vanilla beans, they’re more closely related to corn than green beans.

Fact 8: Pineapple’s Name and Family

European explorers named the pineapple for its pinecone-like appearance and apple-like flesh. Pineapples are the only edible members of the bromeliad family. Get tips for grilling pineapple.

Fact 9: Fruits vs. Vegetables

Botanically, avocados and pumpkins are fruits because they bear seeds. Rhubarb, however, is a vegetable.

Fact 10: Saffron’s Source

Saffron, a prized Mediterranean spice, is harvested from the stigmas of the fall-blooming crocus Crocus sativus.

Fact 11: Poinsettia’s Journey

Poinsettias, native to Mexico, were introduced to the U.S. in 1825 by Joel Poinsett, the first U.S. minister to Mexico, after whom the plant is named.

Fact 12: Bouncing Cranberries

Small air pockets inside cranberries make them bounce and float in water.

Fact 13: The Corpse Flower

The titan arum (Amorphophallus titanium) produces the largest unbranched flower, reaching 15 feet tall. Its rotting-meat scent attracts fly pollinators. Rafflesia, from Sumatran rainforests, uses a similar strategy.

Fact 14: Oleander’s Toxicity

All parts of the oleander (Nerium oleander), a Mediterranean flowering shrub, are poisonous. Ingestion can cause severe gastrointestinal, cardiac, and nervous system issues, even death. Learn more about oleander.

Fact 15: Mythological Plant Names

Iris means “rainbow” in Greek; Iris was the rainbow goddess. Artemisia (wormwood) honors Artemis; Asclepias (milkweed) honors Asclepius; Hebe honors the goddess Hebe.

Fact 16: Lily-of-the-Valley Festival

In France, May 1 is La Fête du Muguet, a festival where bouquets of lily-of-the-valley are given for health and happiness. Learn more about lily-of-the-valley.

Fact 17: Angiosperms vs. Gymnosperms

Angiosperms are flowering plants with seeds in capsules or fruits. Non-flowering plants (pines, spruces, firs, junipers, larches, cycads, ginkgoes) are gymnosperms.

Fact 18: Snapdragon’s Dragon Mouth

Snapdragon flowers resemble a dragon; squeezing the sides makes the “mouth” open and close. Learn more about snapdragons.

Fact 19: Sunflower’s Composite Head

A sunflower head comprises hundreds of tiny florets that ripen into seeds. This holds true for all sunflower-family plants: daisies, yarrow, goldenrod, asters, coreopsis, and bachelor’s buttons.

Fact 20: Potato Origins

The first potatoes were cultivated in Peru about 7,000 years ago. Learn more about potatoes.

Fact 21: Rose Family Members

Peaches, pears, apricots, quinces, strawberries, and apples belong to the rose family, along with ornamental species like spirea, mountain ash, goatsbeard, and ninebark.

Fact 22: North American Native Fruits

Cranberries, Concord grapes, and blueberries are three popular fruits native to North America.

Fact 23: Nectarines vs. Peaches

The only difference is that nectarines lack fuzzy skins. You can graft peach branches onto a nectarine tree (or vice versa) to grow both fruits. Learn more about peaches and nectarines.

Fact 24: Strawberry Seeds

The average strawberry has 200 seeds and is the only fruit that bears its seeds on the outside. Learn more about strawberries.

Fact 25: Onion Tears

Sulfuric compounds cause the tears when cutting onions. Chilling the onion and cutting the root end last reduces the effect, per the National Onion Association.

Fact 26: Garlic Mustard Misnomer

Garlic mustard is a mustard-family member, not garlic. This invasive herb threatens native plants in the Eastern and Midwestern U.S.

Fact 27: Living Fossils

Ginkgo (Ginkgo biloba) dates back 250 million years; dawn redwood (Metasequoia glyptostroboides) about 150 million years. Both were known from fossils before living specimens were discovered. Learn more about ginkgo | Learn more about dawn redwood.

Fact 28: Longest-Living Organisms

Trees are the longest-living organisms on Earth.

Fact 29: Peanuts Are Legumes

Peanuts are legumes related to beans and lentils, not nuts. They contain more protein, niacin, folate, and phytosterols than any nut, according to the National Peanut Board. Learn more about peanuts.

Fact 30: Hottest Chili Pepper

The title of world’s hottest chili pepper is contested. ‘Bhut Jolokia’ held the Guinness record in 2007 (401.5 times hotter than bottled hot sauce), but several hotter chilis have since claimed the title.