Plant science in heavy metal

Arabidopsis cleaning up bomb sites? Carrots mining for gold? Black Sabbath encouraging bigger blooms in lilies? This might seem like the stuff of science fiction, but in this blog post, I'm going to be talking you through all three.

Common Dog Violet

If you're taking a walk through the woods, instead of admiring the majesty of the tree canopy, take a look at the meek, ground-dwellers below. Among them, you may come across the common dog violet (Viola riviniana). Flowering from April to June, this wonderful little plant is of great ecological importance.