• Question: how fast can the fastes plant grow

    Asked by anon-359327 on 21 Mar 2023.
    • Photo: Liz Barron-Majerik

      Liz Barron-Majerik answered on 21 Mar 2023:

      The fastest growing plant is Duckweed! It has got rid of half its genes and just focusses entirely on growth – very little immune system, no roots – just growth! Because it reproduces so quickly, it is becoming of interest as a new food source (well, to us, it is eaten in other countries already).

    • Photo: Phil Howell

      Phil Howell answered on 29 Mar 2023:

      I don’t know if it’s the fastest of all, but bamboo grows really quickly, some species have recorded almost 1m in a day – that’s almost fast enough to see it growing before your eyes! This makes bamboo a really interesting plant for industry – there is a team of architects and engineers trying to build a skyscraper out of bamboo. It is also used to make paper and can be turned into a form of viscose that you can weave into clothes – in fact I’m wearing some bamboo boxer shorts today!

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