Petunia flowers just got a glowing makeover, with a biology start-up company now selling bioluminescent versions of the plant using mushroom DNA.
If you’re a tech enthusiast, chances are your home is lit up with a sea of LED orRGB lights. Whether it’s your RGB-riddledmouse and keyboards, gamingPC, orgaming chair, you’re likely not free from some sort of illumination.
Just about every part of your gaming setup will have RGB. If it doesn’t, people are always willing to findnew ways to integrate them.
That’s where Light Bio comes in, with their bioluminescent flowers. Through genetic enhancement, the US-based start-up is selling glow-in-the-dark Firefly Petunia plants. These living flowers can provide a “soothing glow” to your home with bioluminescence similar to that of fireflies.
Mushroom DNA is behind the Petunia bioluminescence
According to the Light Bio website, the Firefly Petunias were created utilizing the “naturally luminous” glow of mushrooms.Lawn and Garen Retaileroriginally reported that a team of 26 scientists isolated mushroom genes to produce the modified plant.
These glow-in-the-dark plants don’t need any special care to light up your space. They’re almost identical to the petunias you may be more than familiar with. As a result, they require similar care, with their bioluminescence being determined by how much sunlight they receive during any given day.
During the evening, the fastest-growing part of the flowers will then emit the most light, which is typically the newest flower on the plant. The Firefly Petunia grows an abundance of white flowers and can be grown in pots, baskets, and even gardens, being one of the more easily manageable plants to care for.
Sadly the bioluminescent petunias aren’t available to pick up in time for this Valentine’s Day. Instead,pre-orders are availablefor the plants on the Light.bio website for $29.99, with shipment expected sometime this spring.
Rosalie Newcombe was a Senior Tech Writer on Dexerto’s UK team. Rosalie is an expert on all things handhelds, and has been picking them up since the original Game Boy, all the way up to the Steam Deck. They have covered hardware for PCGamesN and Custom PC.
