111 Fascinating Facts About Plants For The Budding Botanist In You

One of the most important parts of our ecosystem, plants, is the very living soul of our planet, without which life would cease to exist.

There are so many facts about plants that are not common knowledge but which everyone should know when talking about plants. Plants not only make your house look beautiful, but they also help purify the air in your home.

They give your house a sense of calm and peace, which is amazing to come home after a hectic day. Plants do not feel pain, as they do not have a central nervous system. The tree bark is the outermost layer of a tree from which we get wood.

Whether you talk about house plants, wild plants, or trees found in the forest or jungle, it is important to realize their massive role in our daily well-being. Old and new plants and trees are vital for living beings to survive on the earth. As is evident from drastic climate change and other ill effects of deforestation like soil erosion and landslides, plants are essential to produce oxygen and maintain balance on earth. Additionally, they are even the primary and, for many species, the only food source. After reading these interesting facts about plants, also check sequoia tree and plants that live in the Atlantic Ocean.

Fun Facts About Plants

Let’s look at some fun plant facts that will make you appreciate them even more.

Plants have been used for natural dyes for the past 6000 years. A plant named 'woad' has been used for its blue color to work as a dye since the Neolithic times.

The Dandelion is an edible plant. Its petals and leaves can be eaten. Plants help relieve stress and anxiety, as is evident from the calming effect a walk in nature is famous for. There have also been researches conducted to validate this fact.

The fastest-growing plant is Wolffia.

The famous Asian plant, the Bamboo, has about 1500 species. Bamboos can grow up to 3 ft (0.9 m) in height per day.

We have close to 500,000 species of plants and trees known to humans. In the 1600s, during the period which came to be known as Tulip Mania, Tulip bulbs were more valuable and expensive than gold in Holland. It was the time when Tulips were just newly discovered.

You can guess a tree’s age by counting the number of rings on its trunk. The most consumed plant in the world is bananas. The most consumed is the yellow banana fruit. However, there are unripe varieties like green and red banana fruits, which are consumed as savory food items or snacks.

Over 85% of plant life is found in the oceans. Plant matter, such as that found in the bottom of water bodies, can turn into coal through the process of metamorphosis.

Plants need fertilization. A natural fertilizer for healthy plants is animal manure, but several manufactured fertilizers are also available in the market. The oldest living tree species on earth is the Gingko Biloba, dating 250 million years back.

The process by which plants turn carbon dioxide, minerals, and water into food is known as photosynthesis and metabolizes carbon dioxide, water, and minerals with energy stored from sunlight.

The word banana is an Arabic word for fingers, and as such, a cluster of bananas is known as a hand and consists of 10 - 20 fingers (bananas).

An African tree known as the Baobab can store between 26,000 gal (1,00,000 l) of water. Resin procured from a tree can contain trapped insects or plant materials. The tallest tree in the world is the Coastal Redwood and goes up to a height of 379 ft (115 m). The coastal redwood plant is a native of California and is also known as the giant Sequoia.

Oak trees are known for getting struck by lightning more than any other tree. Oak trees are also known for producing acorns only after 50 years old. About 170,000 pencils can be made from wood cultivated from a single tree.

Cucumbers are seeds containing fruit, not a vegetable. Other seed fruits, confused as vegetables, are tomatoes and avocados. Broccoli, cabbage, kale, and cauliflower belong to the same species.

Brazil was named after a tree.

A large flower in the world is the Rafflesia, and it can grow up to 3 ft (0.9 m) in diameter. Strawberry is the only fruit that grows seeds on the outside. A natural chemical is released when the grass is freshly cut to help relieve stress.

England has a garden known as a poison garden, full of plants capable of killing humans. The same plant produces the variety of teas we have. Just their processing methods are different, giving them their unique identity.

Plants That Can Live Without Water The Longest

Let’s look at some plant facts that do not require a lot of water and are thus considered low maintenance.

The cactus is the first one we think about. However, many more plant species can live without water or very little water.

A string of pearls is a small house plant that is an excellent choice for those who forget to water their plants. This beautiful and adorable plant requires little to no water and can survive for days without water.

Succulents come in various shapes and forms. These are small indoor plants that require very little care. They may be either flowering plants or nonflowering plants, but they never bear fruit.

The ZZ plant is a lovely leafy green plant that requires daily watering. Desert Rose is a beautiful flowering plant with tiny flowers called florets that requires little to no water.

(Bougainvillea is also a flowering plant that does great outdoors and requires little water.)

Plants That Are Carnivores

Many plant species are predatory. Let’s look at some carnivorous plants facts.

Carnivorous plants consume small insects like flies or spiders to attain the necessary nutrients. An example is the Venus flytrap plant.

Carnivorous plants have also gone through an evolution. They have gone through that process nine times and evolved some genius trapping methods.

Carnivorous plants have better reproductive success than plants that rely on photosynthesis for food. The predatory nature helps them adapt to difficult living conditions.

There are more than 700 species of carnivorous plants. The Venus flytrap plant uses the snap trap method to capture prey, while the pitcher plant uses the pitfall trap.

Plants like the sundews have sticky tentacle-like objects sticking out of their leaves on which insects get stuck and are then consumed. Even the most giant carnivorous plants can only ever eat a rat.

Butterworts are another species of carnivorous plant. They trap and consume their prey by employing a method known as the suction trap. Carnivorous plants, like any other plant, lack digestive enzymes. They digest a variety of foods with the help of bacteria. Many carnivorous plant species are becoming extinct because people tend to take them from their natural habitat.

Plants That Are Medicinal

Finally, some facts about plants that possess medicinal properties and benefits.

There are about 70,000 species of plants that are used for medicinal purposes. Humble house plants like basil, for example, have unique therapeutic properties.

The ginkgo, known as the oldest tree, is also the oldest homeopathic tree in the world. The ginkgo is also known to slow down the effects of chronic diseases like Alzheimer's and dementia.

Turmeric is another plant known for its medicinal benefits and is quickly gaining more popularity these days. It is known to be especially effective in curing injuries and inflammation.

The Primrose plant and flower are amazing cures for PMS and even some skin conditions like eczema. Teas prepared using the Echinacea are miraculous in curing a common cold.

Grape seed extract is an excellent antioxidant. Lavender is an excellent medicinal plant to help with anxiety and panic attacks. If you feel anxious, lavender teas will help calm you down.

Chamomile flowers are tiny flowers made from tea which is excellent for stress relief.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for 111 fascinating facts about plants for the budding botanist in you then why not take a look at Madagascar rainforest, or different types of forests.