The Black Botanists

The Black Botanists We are the Black Botanists! Follow us to learn new and random gardening knowledge 🌺 photos are all from our garden!
📍San Jose, CA

“Spicy! Pricey! Neck and wrist icy! - ” … Summer is heating up thanks to this beautiful pepper harvest from our rooftop ...
07/28/2022

“Spicy! Pricey! Neck and wrist icy! - ” … Summer is heating up thanks to this beautiful pepper harvest from our rooftop garden!

What are you growing this season?

🌶🌶🌶🌶🌶🌶🌶

Plants are masters of evolution — By now you’ve probably noticed that the seeds on a sunflower head develop in the form ...
07/10/2022

Plants are masters of evolution — By now you’ve probably noticed that the seeds on a sunflower head develop in the form of a mesmerizing Fibonacci spiral, but have you ever wondered why?

This particular arrangement allows the plant to maximize the space used on the seed head. This spiral pattern allows the most seeds to be developed in that space, preventing any gaps or straight lines. The same principle applies to the arrangement of the ray flowers (the large yellow petals) around the seeds. By optimizing the placement of each, the plant can ensure it’s getting the best opportunity to photosynthesize.

To be clear, though, this occurrence is not always due to photosynthesis. Some plants that use the Fibonacci sequence use it for maintaining stability. Cell formation in this pattern allows a plant to grow outward and still maintain its structure.

Where else have you spotted a Fibonacci spiral? 🌻


Happy 30th Birthday to my darling ! I’m so glad I get to share this special milestone with you. Can’t wait to see where ...
06/19/2022

Happy 30th Birthday to my darling ! I’m so glad I get to share this special milestone with you. Can’t wait to see where life takes us in the next 30 🥰

Everyone please join me in wishing .l.jones a happy birthday!Thank you for showing me that with love, we can face anythi...
06/08/2022

Everyone please join me in wishing .l.jones a happy birthday!
Thank you for showing me that with love, we can face anything. 💕

Ferns are one of the oldest plant species at over 300 million years old. In fact they’re so old that they don’t even pro...
06/03/2022

Ferns are one of the oldest plant species at over 300 million years old. In fact they’re so old that they don’t even produce flowers or seeds. Instead they release spores, which are small genetic bases from which a new plant can grow. You’ll find spores on the underside of mature leaves, which are also known as fronds. Most people find them fascinating, but they can definitely set off your trypophobia.

Drop a dinosaur emoji in the comments if you like ferns 🦖

03/09/2022

To some it may seem like our Zamioculcas zamiifolia 'Dowon', or Raven™ ZZ is losing its iconic color. Actually, the leaves of a “Raven” zz come out bright green and over time they turn a dark purple or black hue.

Much like the more common cultivars, the Raven zz is a great additional houseplant because it requires little maintenance and is easy to propagate.

🚨Friendly reminder: “Low light” plants benefit from bright indirect light just like your other houseplants, they just don’t suffer as quickly from deficiencies 💚

Did you know, Spanish moss, or Tillandsia usneoides, is neither from Spain nor moss? It is actually an epiphyte, or air ...
01/29/2022

Did you know, Spanish moss, or Tillandsia usneoides, is neither from Spain nor moss? It is actually an epiphyte, or air plant, meaning it gets all of its water and nutrients from the air. Spanish moss is native to tropical climates in the United States, Central America and South America. Thanks to birds, who often use this as nesting material, you’ll find this plant growing on everything from palm trees to power lines. There’s also a lot of back and forth about whether or not they are a habitat for chiggers (also known as berry bugs). Needless to say, we definitely didn’t know that when we took the second picture 😬


The Black Botanists broke up… with zone 9! We’re zone 5 plant daddies now! More on that in a moment…Let’s talk about Chr...
11/15/2021

The Black Botanists broke up… with zone 9! We’re zone 5 plant daddies now! More on that in a moment…

Let’s talk about Chrysanthemums, more commonly known as mums. These beauties originate from China, but over time they spread in popularity throughout Asia, Europe, and the United States. In most countries they are a symbol of mourning and adversity, but here in the United States they are associated with autumn and joy. They also happen to be the official flower of our new city — Chicago!

It’s hard to believe we packed up everything and moved across the country, right before winter, no less 🥶 We’re very excited to see what this next chapter has in store for us. Please bare with us as we get settled in our new place and try figure out this new hardiness zone. We just didn’t want y’all thinking we were dead beats plant dads 😘

More content coming soon 🌱

When you successfully grow three watermelons and don’t know how to act…😂
10/01/2021

When you successfully grow three watermelons and don’t know how to act…😂

09/20/2021

It’s ! Let’s talk about one of the most iconic characteristics of the monstera — fenestration. Fenestration refers to the “holes” that appear in mature monstera leaves.

While most recognize and love this feature of monsteras, no one really knows why these plants fenestrate. Some people hypothesize that holes allow the smaller leaves below to receive light; While other theories suggest that the fenestrations allow air to pass through the leaves, reducing the likelihood of tearing in windy conditions.

What do you think? 🤔

Today we celebrate 3 years together! Thanks for sharing in our journey. ❤️ ...
09/03/2021

Today we celebrate 3 years together! Thanks for sharing in our journey. ❤️

Did you know that it’s actually illegal to propagate and sell certain houseplants? This stunning plant is commonly known...
08/31/2021

Did you know that it’s actually illegal to propagate and sell certain houseplants? This stunning plant is commonly known as a Network™ Calathea or Calathea Musaica. You’ll notice the trademark on the name “Network” that’s because this plant is actually patented.

Plant patents give patent-holders exclusive rights to the sale and propagation of a specific cultivar. If granted, the patent is valid for 20 years. There are several factors that go into getting a patent granted but one of the biggest requirements is to prove that the “new” cultivar is stable and will retain its unique properties over time (for example: not losing its variegation).

As one might imagine, there’s a lot of time, money, and research that goes in to developing a new plant, so it makes sense that growers would want to protect their investments.

What are you propagating these days? ✂️🌱👀🚔👨🏾‍⚖️


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