Of Earth's estimated 400,000 plant species, we could eat about 300,000 of them if we really wanted. Yet humans eat a mere 200 species globally, and half our plant-sourced protein and calories come from just three: maize, rice and wheat.

One California redwood in a remote area of Redwood National and State Parks has been nicknamed "Hyperion" by scientists. "Hyperion" stands 115.55 m (379.1 ft) tall and is estimated to be 600 years old. According to researchers, woodpecker damage at the top may have prevented the tree from growing even taller.

Thanks to the Amazon rainforest, Mata Atlantica forest, the woody savana-like cerrado, and the massive inland swamp known as the Pantanal, Brazil has the greatest biodiversity of any country on the planet with more than 55,000 known species of plants, many of which can't be found anywhere else.

The main thing that distinguishes the tropical pitcher plant from other carnivorous vegetables is its scale: the "pitchers" of this plant can reach over a foot in height. The doomed animals are attracted by the plant's sweet-scented nectar, and once they fall into the pitcher, digestion can take as long as two months.

Some species of bamboo can grow as much as 35 inches in a single day!

During the 1600s, the recently introduced and fashionable tulip was so valuable in Holland that its bulbs were worth more than gold. The craze, called tulip mania, actually caused the Dutch economy to crash in February 1637. It is generally considered the first recorded speculative bubble.

The modern day carrot wasn't cultivated until Dutch growers in the late 16th century took mutant strains of the purple carrot and gradually developed them into the sweet, plump, orange variety we have today.

Vanilla comes from orchids of the genus Vanilla. While the major species of vanilla orchids are now grown around the world, they originally came from Mesoamerica, including parts of modern day Mexico and Guatemala.

The explorer David Livingstone described the baobab as having an upside-down appearance because of its massive trunk which can attain a circumference of more than 82 feet and store up to 32,000 gallons (120,000 litres) of water to endure harsh drought conditions.

A precursor to aspirin found in bark from the willow tree has been used for its health effects for at least 2,400 years.