Natural History Wanderings

Some plants behave like the mythical monster Hydra: Cut off their heads and they grow back, bigger and better than before. A new study finds that these ‘overcompensators,’ as they are called, also augment their defensive chemistry — think plant venom — when they are clipped. The discovery could lead to the development of new methods for boosting plant growth while reducing the need for insecticides, the researchers said.

Read more Some plants grow bigger — and ‘meaner’ — when clipped, study finds