“The Botany of Desire” is a movie that we were assigned to watch over the break. It is a four part documentary that discusses the role of plants in our world, and the extent at which they use human reliance on their desirable characteristics to advantage the plants survival and reproduction as a species. It is an interesting concept to think about how even though we see ourselves as such powerful organisms on earth, by using the resources around us, we are not the only ones benefiting. Plants in some ways are actually manipulating us into continuing their existence, not that we are complaining!
The first plant discussed was the apple. Fruit in general has had amazing success in making itself desirable to humans to continue their existence through taste, and the apple may be the most successful of them all. Leading up to more recent centuries, food was not always an easy thing to find, and calories were hard to come by. Taste buds evolved with humans and other mammals to enjoy sweetness which would signal to the body that there were calories. Apples are one of the sweeter of all fruits and have used this characteristic to their advantage. With roots in central Asia, the apple has grown in many different forms since each new bud of an apple tree from an apple seed creates a new species of apples. Today, scientists have been able to recreate the kinds of apples that are the most sweet, juicy and round like Fuji apples or granny smith apples. For a while, apples were even wanted for their more bitter taste. In making cider, the more bitter apples were used and this was a popular alcoholic drink for a long time after Johnny Appleseed brought them over to the United States.
The next plant that has appealed to humans to aid their reproduction is tulips. Flowers in general are appealing to the sight and smell of humans and other organisms (bees interestingly enough have very similar taste in flowers as humans). Their bright colors, sweet smells and symmetrical design stand out to us and have many uses to us. From bouquets of flowers used as gifts, to scented products from flowers to decorations in peoples houses, and even the symbolism of certain flowers in celebrations or stories,
flowers have secured an importance in our lives. Tulips especially are incredibly diverse and uniquely beautiful. At one point in history even, a rare species of tulips led the Dutch into a time of ‘tulip mania’ ruining the financial status of many rich barrons who would buy this rare white and red speckled tulip for high prices comparative to vacation houses. Once the flower got so expensive it was almost impossible to purchase, its value came crashing down leaving the owners of the remaining flowers cheated of large amounts of money all for a flower.
Following the tulips, cannibus, commonly known as marijuana or weed was discussed. Another characteristic of plants that has become desired by humans is its intoxicating effects on the consumer. The effects it has can alter the brain’s normal processing and
intervene with remembering because of the production of a molecule called THC. This plants origins are in Mexico however it is becoming more widely known and accepted. I think that it is interesting that in the United States, marijuana consumption has been so looked down on and made illegal while alcohol is not however alcohol has very well researched and some very similar effects and marijuana was originally used as a treatment when it was brought here.
The last plant was the potato. Interestingly, potatoes in their original form were toxic to humans, however after exploring the Andes, farmers were able to find a species with a mutation that made them edible. This was an important plant for harvesting because it could survive in harsher climates than other ‘fruit-bearing’ plants, and was a plant easy enough to harvest in large amounts. When it was brought to Europe, it was easy to harvest and became a steady source of nutrition for europeans. I’m sure we can all agree that potatoes have made themselves essential to humans when we note their wide range of food products such as mashed potatoes, hash browns, french fries and more.
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