Up-to-date news on what qualifies a plant as a weed, rice blast fungus, and organic farming research.

WHAT MAKES A WEED A WEED?

All weeds might be plants, but not all plants act like weeds. What gives certain species the power to outcompete others and thrive in almost any environment? According to research from the University of British Columbia (UBC), the answer is in the genes.

For this study, researchers looked specifically at the Jerusalem artichoke (), a plant prized for its nutritious tubers, but considered one of the most destructive invasive species in Europe. Not a true artichoke, this North American native was first brought across the Atlantic in the early