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“A Real Monster Nightmare”: 50 Times Mother Nature Glitched Out And It Led To Interesting Plants
Fasciation is a genetic mutation of a plant's growing tip, and it can affect the stem, flowers, or fruits.
Sometimes, the results aren't very dramatic. For example, the growing shoots may end up flattened, splayed apart, or may seem to be made up of several stems fused into one.
But other times, the effects are extremely eye-catching, such as grossly oversized flowers with a weirdly grotesque look — the closer to the ground that fasciation happens, the more exaggerated its effects tend to be.
So since spring is just around the corner, we decided to introduce you to this phenomenon and put together a collection of pics that illustrate the abnormalities that it can lead to.
This post may include affiliate links.
#1
Fasciated Saguaro Specimen
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#2
Daughter Found This Branch And Uses It As Her Magic Wand
Michigan State University Extension horticulture educator Gretchen Voyle says that it's important to note that not every odd-looking plant is fasciated.
"With any kind of strange growth, the first thing to do is eliminate the possibility that the odd leaves or stems were caused by a light dose of weed killer or herbicide," she writes.
#3
It Tasted Good Too
cerinamroth 10 months ago
My dream come true! Seriously, the first thing I ate after I gave birth to my daughter was a whole pineapple. Best reward I could think of!
#4
Grumpkin - Grape That Looks Like A Pumpkin
Claudio Toshio 10 months ago
Looks like a Brazilian Cherry. https://i0.wp.com/revistajardins.pt/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/pitanga-1395857_1920.jpg?fit=1080%2C810&ssl=1
#5
An Example Of Fasciation - Rare Mutation That Can Result In Beautiful And Unique Patterning. Daisies Are Particularly Susceptible To It
30ninjazinmybag 10 months ago
Daisy caterpillar. I used to make them when I was little. So pretty
Voyle explains that "lawn herbicides with 2-4,D leave grasses untouched, but kill broadleaved plants in lawns."
"However, when a small amount drifts onto a broadleaf plant, it can cause the new growth to take on a bizarre appearance."
#6
Fasciation
#7
Debbie Crest Is Still Going Strong
#8
A Particularly Neat Example Of Fasciation
#9
Fascinating Verbena At Gravetye Manor
In these cases, leaves can become twisted or pig-tailed, thickened and stiff, almost like rigid plastic.
"Sometimes, tissue is rippled or rolled. There may also be browning to leaf margins or the entire leaf," Voyle adds.
#10
Found This Really Strange-Looking Strawberry
#11
Mutant Rose
#12
The Mutant Digitalis Has So Many Blooms, The Top Is Spinning
#13
Fairy Tale Eggplant
#14
Pachypodium Lamerei At The University Of California, Berkeley Botanical Garden
#15
Mutant Black-Eyed Susan
#16
It Has Been Blooming Like This For Over 3 Years
#17
A Weird Pineapple That Has Undergone Cresting, Also Known As Fasciation
The weird parts have undergone trauma of some sort (bacterial or viral) or are genetically predisposed to this condition, which is causing abnormal growth patterns along the apical meristem.
TheCrazyBunnyLady 10 months ago
Iä! Iä! Cthulhu fhtagn! Ph'nglui mglw'nafh Cthulhu R'lyeh wgah-nagl fhtagn
#18
A Group Of Dandelions Fused And Grew Together With One Big Stem
#19
I Thought I Might Be Experiencing Some Sort Of Episode When I First Saw This Extraordinary Thistle In Benbecula Yesterday
#20
Not Sure What's In The Water, But It Looks Like At Least 5 Stalks Combined Into One. I Have Named It The Hive
#21
My First Tomato, I Think I'm Doing Something Wrong
#23
These Bananas Are Joined Together. It Was Surprisingly Bland And Didn't Taste Very Good
#24
I Think My Madagascar Palm Is Trying To Flex On Me
#25
My Double And Triple Apples
#26
My Mutant Sunflower Is Awesome
#27
Had A Visitor On My Crested Cubic Frost
#28
Frankenkiwi
#29
I Couldn’t Wait For This One To Completely Acclimate And Root Before I Share It, She’s Just So Perfectly Mermaid-Shaped
#30
Found This Fasciated Silver Celosia Today At The Garden Center
#31
The Corn I Harvested Today Is Looking Freshly Mutated
#32
Crested Maria
#33
Fasciated Lemon On My Tree
#34
Crested Echeveria Lemon Rose
#35
Growing Stable. My Crested Echeveria Minibelle
#36
This Fabulous Example Of Fasciation In An Agave Plant Is A Real Monster Nightmare
#37
Double Banana? Double Egg Yolk? How About This Here Triple Kiwi
Cristian A. 10 months ago
It looks like the cat moving through a panoramic photo shoot attempt
#38
Absolutely Fasciated By This Eggplant
#39
My Crested Favorite. It's Called Echeveria Lincoln Frost, Got It Two And A Half Years Ago
He was small and blue, but my grow lights have produced this lovely peach stress color which I love!
Kar Red Roses 10 months ago
Stress color? What’s that about. I thought succulent love grow lights?
#40
Mermaid Tail With Lots Of Character
#41
Giant Echium With Fasciation In My Friend's Back Yard On Northern California Coast
Marlowe Fitzpatrik 10 months ago
Okay, I love plants. But honestly, I'd be scared to get near this thing if it grew in my garden!
#42
Fasciation Is A Common Occurrence In Plants But A Bromeliad Inflorescence Is A 1st For Me
#43
I Have A Mutant Dandelion With 8 Flowers All In One Stem
#44
Meet Sunny, My Mutant Buddy
#45
My Friend Grew This Fasciated Cucumber
#46
Euphorbia Susannae Crest Is Growing Like Crazy And Getting More Wrinkled
#47
My Crested Garden Succulent
#48
Friend At Work Grew This Freak Asparagus
#49
