From Quartz:
A brightly colored flower is the first to bloom in the International Space Station.
The zinnias were chosen by NASA not for their beauty, but to “help scientists understand how plants flower and grow in microgravity.” ISS astronauts made headlines last year after successfully growing lettuces on the ISS, but the zinnias proved to be a bit more difficult.
“The zinnia plant is very different from lettuce,” Trent Smith, the veggie project manager, notes in a NASA blog. “It is more sensitive to environmental parameters and light characteristics. It has a longer growth duration between 60 and 80 days. Thus, it is a more difficult plant to grow.”
For the rest of this story, please visit qz.com.
Latest from Garden Center
- University of Florida study unlocks secrets of invasive short-spined thrips
- Kian-backed Eden Brothers adds Michael Hollenstein as CEO, expands senior leadership team
- IPPS announces organizational rebrand, new website and 2026 international membership drive
- Growscape appoints chief manufacturing officer, Brian Cunningham
- Experts help Florida cemetery become state’s first to earn arboretum accreditation
- Fresh Inset appoints Gordon Robertson as general manager, North America
- Society of American Florists planning fifth annual Next Gen LIVE! conference for young floral professionals
- Applications now open for American Floral Endowment graduate scholarships
