Over the past week, my AP Biology teammates and I have been watching the documentary The Botany of Desire. This documentary, based on the book The Botany of Desire by Michael Pollan, provides an interesting perspective on four plants and their relationships with humans. The organisms discussed in the documentary are apples, tulips, cannabis, and potatoes. Each of these organisms has had a massive impact on culture and economy, mirroring innate human desires that have shaped the ways we grow and breed these organisms. I found this movie interesting because it speaks from the plants’ perspective, rather than the human perspective we are so used to. Humans often regard themselves as the top of the food chain, believing they are the dictators of relationships with other organisms. However, it is much more complicated than that. Even the smallest of organisms can impact us and, as seen in the documentary, present themselves in ways that entice humans to continue their reproduction. This opens the question of who is really in control – plants or humans?
The first organism that the movie covered was the apple, which has an interesting history. Apples first originated in Kazakhstan and were able to spread when organisms ate the apples and excreted the seeds as they moved. John Chapman, who was later nicknamed Johnny Appleseed, traversed America to plant many different types of apples across the country. People first used apples to make cider as a substitute for water that they believed was contaminated but turned against hard cider when people started exhibiting bad behavior. Instead, people began eating apples. The apple was loved for its sweetness, so people began breeding the types of apples that were the sweetest. This artificial selection has decreased the amount of biodiversity among apples. We concluded that humans are in control of our relationship with apples because we chose which types to breed and which types would die off.
The next plant in the movie were tulips. Tulips have been highly coveted throughout history for their beauty. Humans are attracted to their various bright colors, which are made possible by mutations within the tulip population. Tulips eventually became a symbol of wealth because they were so expensive and valued. At one point in history, Sultan Ahmed III spent so much on tulip festivals that he was removed from the throne. It was very interesting to see how widespread the cultural and economic impact of tulips has been across many cultures. I think that tulips are in control of the relationship with humans because they have enticed humans throughout history with their different appearances, which means they have adapted to make us grow them. Tulips are not a necessity, but they have proven to be so captivating that people can’t help but grow them. I actually visited a tulip festival in Washington last year and it was very beautiful!
The third plant in the documentary was cannabis. This section was interesting because it explained that cannabis produces a molecule called THC, which fits perfectly into anandamide receptors in the brain. This is what allows cannabis to alter consciousness. The documentary explained that humans have an innate desire to experience other forms of consciousness, which can be seen by young children spinning or people visiting amusement parks. This is why people choose to use cannabis and I believe that cannabis is in control of its relationship with humans. Despite federal law, many people continue ingesting cannabis for its effects. Cannabis is a very tedious and tricky plant to grow, but people spend countless time producing it because there is such a demand. Unlike the apple, which is a nutritious part of our diet, cannabis has no place in our diet and serves us no necessary purpose, but people still produce and ingest it because its effects have a hold on them.
The final plant discussed in the documentary was the potato. Potatoes first originated in Peru and are now part of every fast food menu. The potato is designed to represent the desire for control because potatoes have been genetically modified and bred to fit our tastes. Historically, potatoes have been grown in a monoculture, they can be killed off by a single type of infestation or fungus. To combat this, a company called Monsanto genetically altered potatoes to be resistant to insects that pose a threat to the crop. McDonald’s began using these potatoes for their french fries, which caused backlash when people realized they had been eating GMOs without their knowledge as McDonald’s had not labeled the fries. I believe that humans are in control of our relationship with potatoes because we have chosen which strains to reproduce in order to fit our tastes. Additionally, we have been able to genetically alter potatoes and the traits they exhibit, which exhibits the human desire for control.
I really enjoyed watching this documentary and learning from the plants’ perspective. It is so easy to believe we are in control of these organisms, but we do not recognize the work these organisms have put in to make us reproduce them. It can take many generations, adaptations, and mutations to create something that humans will "approve of", notice, or value, but each of the organisms in this documentary has been successful. From now on I will be much more aware of how plants have impacted our culture and fulfilled our desires.
Works Cited:
Arnarson, Atli. “Apples 101: Nutrition Facts and Health Benefits.” Healthline, Healthline Media, 8 May 2019, http://www.healthline.com/nutrition/foods/apples.
Schwellenbach, Ashley. “Washington State Legislators Finally Create a Cannabis Equity Program.” Leafly, 13 Mar. 2020, http://www.leafly.com/news/politics/washington-state-legislators-finally-create-a-cannabis-equity-program.
Cutolo, Morgan. “6 Facts You Might Not Know About McDonald’s French Fries.” Reader’s Digest, http://www.rd.com/food/fun/mcdonalds-fries-facts/.
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