What if some plants could do more than grow in metal-rich soil?

What if they could actually pull valuable metals from the ground and concentrate them in their own tissues?

Certain plants have an extraordinary ability known as phytomining, in which vegetation absorbs unusually high concentrations of metals from the soil.

The Plants That Can Be Harvested for Metal explores the fascinating science behind these plants and how researchers are investigating them as a potential way to recover metals from the ground.

Some plants known as hyperaccumulators can take up metals such as nickel and store surprisingly high concentrations in their leaves and stems without being poisoned by them.

Instead of treating metal-rich soils as unusable, scientists can investigate whether these plants can be cultivated, harvested, and process ...