Category: plant cutting
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Some of 2025’s notable new plants
Creating weekly blog posts for Plantcuttings.uk is challenging, especially when facing inspiration blocks. Recently feeling pressured to maintain output levels, Mr Cuttings decided to discuss notable new plant discoveries of 2025. Drawing inspiration to do so from an article by Damian Carrington, he ultimately found renewed satisfaction in the writing…
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Plants light up your life (and night…)
Shuting Liu et al. (2025) explore the potential of engineered luminescent plants, specifically Echeveria ‘Mebina’. Injected with phosphorescent particles, these plants can absorb sunlight and emit light in various colors. While promising for sustainable lighting, challenges include labour-intensive production and the impact on plant physiology, limiting widespread application.
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The killing power of spoiled wine
The article explores the transformation of vinegar, traditionally used for disinfection, into a more effective antibacterial agent by combining it with cobalt-doped carbon quantum dots. This innovative approach shows promise against antibiotic-resistant bacteria and highlights the urgent need for new microbial resistance solutions amid increasing health threats globally.
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Prize-winning plant work
The post discusses the Ig Nobel Prize winners of 2025, highlighting their humorous yet insightful research related to plants and food. It emphasizes the absence of specific Nobel Prizes for botany, despite notable plant scientists obtaining Nobel recognition. The post reflects on the lighter side of science, showcasing how fun…
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Rare earths: Botany meets geopolitics
The post discusses He et al., 2025’s work with Blechnum orientale, a fern that accumulates rare earth elements (REEs), in particular the mineral monazite. This discovery raises important questions about plants being a sustainable source for REEs. The post also provides background to REEs, and doesn’t ignore their geopolitical significance.
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A botanical conundrum solved (sort of…)
The post follows-up on a previous post that considered how much of the plant’s photosynthesis is used in root mucilage production. In particular it discusses the challenges in verifying % claims from Wikipedia and McNear Jr. Mr P Cuttings emphasises careful source citation and acknowledges that the puzzle remains unresolved.
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A botanical conundrum: HELP, please!
The post discusses the substantial – but source-substantiated – amount of energy plants use secreting root mucilage, estimated at 10-40% of their photosynthesized carbon. Mr P Cuttings expresses scepticism about these high figures, noting lower estimates from earlier studies. To clarify this discrepancy, a full copy of Newman’s 1985 article…
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There’s a Japanese word for that…
The post discusses the connections between the Japanese language and botany. In particular, it highlights the relevance of origami and kirigami to modern-day engineering applications, and of shinrin-yoku to forest bathing’s health benefits. Additionally, it ponders the Japanese word for a wooden satellite.
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A deep dive into seaweed structural colour
Investigating the tips of the red seaweed Asparagopsis taxiformis, Hiroshi Kawai & Taizo Motomura identified presence of ‘nanospheres’. The structural colours of blue or white produced by the nanospheres are interpreted as examples of ‘warning colouration’, and ‘camouflage’, respectively.
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When is a tree not a tree? When it’s a rock(!)
By way of an introduction to “ergastic substances” in plants, Mr P Cuttings considers calcium oxalate and carbonate. And relates this to a report that certain fig trees can sequester such inorganic carbon, potentially maintaining carbon sinks post-death. This biomineralisation could help to mitigate climate change while also benefiting soil…
Plant Cuttings 