Most plants are relatively harmless, but beware some of the unique survival features plants have evolved to defend themselves against herbivores, infection, and plant competitors! Explore this new multisensory exhibit that shares the ferocious side of the bright and beautiful plant world. Plants have engaged in a millennia-long evolutionary struggle with their animal and plant competitors, and some people can experience negative consequences from touching, consuming, or, in rare cases, sitting beneath them. But some of the chemicals that cause harm can also be used for human good: more than half of pharmaceutical drugs are originally derived from plants. It’s a plant’s world; we are just living in it!
Visitors are invited to test their reflexes to see if they can move faster than several carnivorous plants like Venus flytraps and bladderworts, then sit on a fabric prickly pear or thistle while learning about these spiky plants, or even take a (safe!) selfie with poison ivy.
A gift store run by the Friends of the U.S. Botanic Garden and local D.C. small business Rewild will operate in the Conservatory's West Gallery, offering botanically-themed gifts for purchase.
The USBG is free of charge and open daily from 10 am - 5 pm with expanded hours for outdoor gardens, closed Dec. 25. Programs connected to the exhibit’s themes will be offered throughout its run.
