Coming Soon: Glow-in-the-Dark Houseplants

On a recent visit to Orlando I took a journey outside the Disneyfied areas to do a bioluminescent kayaking tour and it was magical. Bioluminescence is a phenomenon that looks otherworldly, unpredictable and symbolizes the wonder of nature itself. It also feels scarce; something that can only be experienced if you’re willing to travel to far flung destinations ... but imagine if it wasn’t.

A startup called Light Bio just got permission from the USDA to sell a glowing bioluminescent petunia in the United States (they call it the “Firefly Petunia”) and expect to start shipping early next year. Their breakthrough involves infusing plants with the genes that make enzymes which produce the glow-in-the-dark effect, an innovation that many have tried and failed to do over the years. The company already has a waiting list reported to be more than 10,000 names long, but that didn’t stop me from signing up. If and when I finally get a shipment, I’ll be sure to share a video of it.