Here is the full list of 100 impressive and fascinating facts for Gardeners and plant lovers:
- Strawberries are not berries, but bananas are!
- There are over 20,000 species of edible plants in the world.
- Tomatoes have more genes than humans!
- Sunflowers can be used to clean up radioactive soil.
- China owns nearly half the world’s pigs, influencing global gardening and farming trends!
- The world’s oldest living rose is thought to be 1000 years old and grows on the wall of the Hildesheim Cathedral in Germany.
- Apple trees can take up to 5 years to produce their first fruit.
- The largest pumpkin ever grown weighed 2,624.6 pounds.
- Vanilla flavoring comes from the pod of an orchid, Vanilla planifolia.
- The fastest-growing woody plant in the world is bamboo. It can grow up to 35 inches in a single day!
- Lemons contain more sugar than strawberries.
- The world’s tallest tree is a coast redwood (Sequoia sempervirens), which stands at about 379 feet tall!
- A tree can absorb as much as 48 pounds of carbon dioxide annually.
- Peppers contain 3 times as much vitamin C as oranges.
- The smell of freshly cut grass is a plant distress call.
- Carrots were originally purple, not orange.
- The largest flower in the world, the Rafflesia arnoldii, can grow up to 3 feet across and weigh up to 15 pounds.
- Caffeine in the soil can help deter slugs and snails from your plants.
- Garlic can be used as a natural pesticide.
- Potatoes were the first vegetable grown in space.
- There are over 600 varieties of oranges.
- A single corn stalk can have up to 800 kernels.
- Basil can help repel mosquitoes.
- The color of hydrangeas can change depending on the pH level of the soil.
- Cucumbers are 96% water.
- Onions are members of the lily family.
- Broccoli contains more protein than steak.
- Almonds are members of the peach family.
- Grapes explode when you put them in the microwave.
- Blueberries are one of the only natural foods that are truly blue in color.
- The world record for the fastest-growing plant belongs to certain species of the 45 genera of bamboo, which have been found to grow at up to 91 cm (35 in) per day or at a rate of 0.00003 km/h (0.00002 mph).
- There are more microorganisms in a teaspoon of soil than there are people on earth.
- Banana plants are not trees; they are a type of herb.
- Kiwifruits were originally called Chinese gooseberries.
- The fear of vegetables is called Lachanophobia.
- More than 85% of plant life is found in the ocean.
- Ancient Egyptians believed eating mushrooms brought long life.
- During the 1600s, tulips were so valuable in Holland that their bulbs were worth more than gold.
- The largest seed in the world is the coco de mer palm seed, weighing about 40 pounds.
- Orchid flowers are symmetrical, and some people refer to this as “the perfect symmetry.”
- The lifespan of a taste bud is about ten days.
- Plants can recognize their siblings and give them preferential treatment, competing less for valuable resources like root space than when surrounded by plants that are not relatives.
- The Amazon rainforest produces half the world’s oxygen supply.
- Capsaicin, which makes peppers hot, is used in a concentrated form in pepper spray as an irritant.
- Plants stop producing oxygen at night and start producing carbon dioxide.
- Mint can become invasive if not contained; it spreads quickly and can take over a garden.
- The largest area of forest in the tropics remains the Amazon Basin, amounting to 5.5 million square kilometers.
- An average-sized tree can provide enough wood to make 170,100 pencils.
- The first potatoes were cultivated in Peru about 7,000 years ago.
- Pineapples can take up to two years to grow.
- A square inch of soil can hold up to 8 worms.
- There are more than 100 different types of roses grown around the world.
- Avocados never ripen on the tree; they ripen only after they have been harvested.
- Spinach can improve your eyesight because it’s packed with lutein.
- The fastest recorded growth for a vine is the Japanese kudzu, which has been known to grow 12 inches in a single day.
- Watermelons are 92% water, making them a perfect hydrating summer snack.
- Birds are essential for plant propagation; they can spread seeds over vast distances.
- Eggshells make a great natural fertilizer as they provide calcium to the soil.
- A single apple tree can produce up to 400 apples a year.
- Tomato plants can be grafted onto potato stalks to grow tomatoes and potatoes on the same plant.
- The first greenhouse was built in Rome in AD 30 to grow cucumbers year-round for Emperor Tiberius.
- Lavender can help reduce stress and create a calming atmosphere in your garden.
- One ounce of gold can be stretched into a wire 50 miles long, which can relate to how vines grow over long distances.
- Radishes are one of the fastest-growing vegetables and can be ready to harvest in just three weeks.
- Honeybees must tap two million flowers to make one pound of honey, reflecting the intense work of pollination.
- The giant sequoia is the most massive tree species on Earth.
- Chili peppers are thought to have been used to season food in Central and South America as far back as 6,000 years ago.
- Corn is grown on every continent except Antarctica.
- Saffron, used as a spice, is derived from the crocus flower, and it’s the most expensive spice in the world.
- Plants can use sound to find water; roots move towards the sound of running water.
- The Venus flytrap digests its prey using enzymes that dissolve the insects.
- The tallest sunflower ever recorded was over 30 feet tall.
- Tea is the most widely consumed beverage in the world after water.
- Roses are related to apples, raspberries, cherries, peaches, plums, nectarines, pears, and almonds.
- The first recorded use of pesticides was in 2500 B.C. when ancient Sumerians used sulfur compounds to control insects and mites.
- Worm castings are five times richer in available nutrients than the topsoil.
- Cinnamon can be used as a natural fungicide in gardening.
- The world’s smallest fruit, a utricle, is produced by a type of water plant.
- Dandelions are completely edible, from their roots to the flowers.
- A traditional Japanese garden is designed to be seen from a pathway or from the buildings surrounding it, not walked through.
- Bees can see colors well and rely on color vision to find nectar.
- A mature oak tree can consume about 100
- Pumpkin flowers are edible and can be added to salads.
- The practice of bonsai began over a thousand years ago in China.
- Marigolds repel garden pests and can protect tomatoes from insects.
- Coffee grounds can be used as a fertilizer as they contain nitrogen.
- The largest carrot ever recorded was more than 19 pounds.
- Plants respond to anesthesia and it can affect their movement.
- The ginkgo biloba tree can live for over a thousand years.
- The oldest known seeds that have germinated were over 2,000 years old, from the date palm.
- Aloe vera plants can help remove pollutants from the air.
- Bamboo can be used to reinforce concrete instead of steel rods.
- Hydroponic systems can grow plants faster and with less water than soil gardening.
- The world’s hottest chili pepper, the Carolina Reaper, averages 1,641,183 Scoville heat units.
- Potato plants are poisonous; only the tubers are edible.
- The longest cucumber ever grown was 42.13 inches long.
- Planting flowers can improve your mental health by reducing stress and increasing happiness.
- Cauliflower comes in colors other than white, including purple, orange, and green.
- The largest orchid can grow up to 10 meters in length.
- Trees are the longest living organisms on Earth, and some bristlecone pines are believed to be over 5,000 years old.
Daniel has been a plant enthusiast for over 20 years. He owns hundreds of houseplants and prepares for the chili growing seasons yearly with great anticipation. His favorite plants are plant species in the Araceae family, such as Monstera, Philodendron, and Anthurium. He also loves gardening and is growing hot peppers, tomatoes, and many more vegetables.