What if some plants could pull valuable metals from the ground and concentrate them inside their own tissues?

Certain plants have evolved an extraordinary ability called phytomining. These plants can absorb unusually high concentrations of metals from metal-rich soils and store them in their leaves and stems.

The Plants That Can Be Harvested for Metal explores the fascinating science behind these plants and the possibility of using them to recover metals from soils, mine waste, and low-grade deposits.

Some plants known as hyperaccumulators can collect remarkable amounts of metals such as nickel without being poisoned by concentrations that would damage ordinary vegetation.

The process begins underground.

Roots absorb water and dissolved minerals from the surrounding soil. Specialized biological mechanisms allow hyper ...