Of Bean Sprouts and Frogosaurs: (Plant) Life Finds a Way

September 16, 2013


Remember that scene in Jurassic Park where Sam Neill discovers that the female frogosaurs have figured out how to change gender, leading to the production of baby frogosaurs, which will now endanger all of humanity because “Life finds a way”?

This is like that, but with bean sprouts.

A friend’s hubby accidentally spilled dry beans down their kitchen drain, and a week later, they woke up to this:

bean sprouts growing in the drain

Having grown in almost darkness, surrounded by the detritus of meals and cleaning products past, I’m thinking these are probably mutant bean sprouts that are even now working on a plot to endanger all of humanity. Unlike the frogosaurs, however, we can probably defeat them with a rudimentary knowledge of plumbing.

So you know, that’s a relief.

What about you? What’s the weirdest place you’ve ever found something living or growing? I once found an apple seed that had sprouted inside the apple, but it you’ve got a cooler example, I would love to know!

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6 Comments on ‘Of Bean Sprouts and Frogosaurs: (Plant) Life Finds a Way’

  1. Don’t you love beans!? It only takes about three days for them to sprout. 😀

    I don’t have any cool strange plant stories, but we did decide to grown broccoli, carrots, beans, and onions in our front flower beds.

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    1. I do love beans. I was very sad when they were added to my allergen list…

      Hooray for growing vegetables in the flower beds! We’re just starting our landscaping and trying to figure out how to outsmart the deer before we plant anything else. They’re leaving the blueberry bushes alone, but the calla lily was just too tempting.

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      1. I don’t have to worry about deer, but I’ve heard that a row of tomato plants will help keep them out. The plants parts are poisonous if eaten, so deer avoid them. If you try that, let me know if it works.

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        1. Good tip! Will have to try that…

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  2. Well, I once found a grapefruit seed sprouted inside the grapefruit; transferred it to a pot and it did well until one night it got too cold.

    Weirdest plant-related experience I ever had, though, wasn’t a seed; it was a leaf that fell off a Swedish ivy and took root in the soil of the pot. Okay, nothing unusual there. But it didn’t have an axil from which to start a new sprout. Instead, that leaf just lived on the soil … green, healthy, all alone … for months. Finally the eeriness completely creeped me out and I buried it in the compost pile.

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    1. I understand why that would creep you out! Spooky indeed.

      Reply | 

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