Shake, rattle—and grow?

The idea that music can help plants grow has been studied for decades, with classical music usually winning. Spotify begs to differ. The music streaming service released its Hardcore Gardening Playlist for Plants in May, inspired by research that claims plants grow better when exposed to the pulsating vibrations of hardcore rock. Wait, what? Actually, the jury is out as to whether metal is superior to Mozart for a plant-based audience. Plus, as the Garden’s Greenhouses staffers will attest, no music can replace the building blocks of good soil, consistent watering, and the right amount of light. Still, for gardeners looking to hedge their musical bets between bombast and dulcet, may we suggest Beethoven?

Nesting instincts

A robin’s nest is an architectural masterpiece if not the envy of designers. It’s no wonder that more architects are adapting design principles from the natural world. It’s a growing trend called biomimetics. Whether it’s a bird’s nest, a termite mound, or the bumpy fins of a humpback whale, nature’s blueprints can guide humans to build more sustainable structures. Consider the Beijing National Stadium built for the 2008 Olympics, nicknamed “The Bird’s Nest.” The intricate steel cladding delivers the same insulating benefits that birds accomplish with twigs, feathers, and the like.

Waltz of the sunflowers?

We know that sunflowers (Helianthus spp.) turn their “faces” to the sun to capture life-sustaining rays. But we had no idea they were so polite about it. A 2024 study from Tel Aviv University found that sunflowers growing together exhibited a “dancing” behavior, with flowers moving in a way that maximized their place in the sun—but without overshadowing (literally and figuratively speaking) their fellow flowers.

Orchid twofer

Scientists journeyed to an extinct volcano in West Papua, Indonesia in search of a rumored blue orchid (Dendrobium azureum) that hadn’t been seen in 80 years. Eureka! Not only did they find the blue orchid, but they also discovered a rare fiery red orchid, which they named D. lancilabium.  Closer to home, did you know that staff from the Garden’s plant curation, collections, production, and conservation science departments collaborate on initiatives that seek to protect native orchids? If you’re all about orchids, you can see  10,000 orchid blooms at The Orchid Show: India Blooms, February 8 to March 23.