A research team from South China Agricultural University, led by Professor Xuting Liu, has successfully created the world’s first succulent plants capable of glowing in the dark with multiple colors.
The innovation uses “afterglow” phosphor particles injected into the plant’s leaves, allowing them to absorb energy from sunlight or artificial light and then gradually release it as visible light.
Experiment Results
- Tested on the succulent Echeveria “Mebina”, which glowed in blue, green, red, and purple.
- Green light lasted the longest, shining for up to 2 hours.
- Brightness levels were comparable to a small night lamp, enough to read text or identify objects in the dark.
- A living glowing wall of over 50 plants was also tested, with clear and lasting results.
A Step Toward Living Lamps
This achievement overcomes the previous limitation of faint and short-lived bioluminescence, thanks to micron-sized phosphor particles that spread throughout plant tissues to produce a brighter, longer-lasting glow.
The breakthrough opens the door to using plants as natural light sources, reducing reliance on electricity and potentially leading to the concept of “living lamps” in the future.
Source: Instagram
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