“Sun-Powered Glow: Succulents That Light Up at Night”
- Prabhat R Mishra
- 1 day ago
- 3 min read
Succulents glow in shades of red, green, blue, and more after being infused with afterglow phosphor particles that absorb and slowly release light. CreditLiu et al., Matter
Nature has always dazzled us with its ability to glow. From mushrooms casting an eerie green shimmer in forests to plankton sparkling blue in the ocean, bioluminescence is one of the most captivating phenomena in the natural world. Now, scientists are taking inspiration from these natural light sources and bringing the glow indoors—straight to our houseplants.
A new study published in Matter, a Cell Press journal, on August 27 reveals the creation of glow-in-the-dark succulents that recharge simply by sitting in the sun. By introducing light-emitting compounds into the plants, researchers were able to make them shine in various colors, producing a glow strong enough to rival a small night light. This straightforward and relatively inexpensive method could serve as an important first step toward sustainable, plant-based lighting systems.
A Vision of Glowing Greenery
“Picture the world of Avatar, where glowing plants illuminate entire ecosystems,” says Shuting Liu, the study’s first author from South China Agricultural University. “We wanted to make that vision possible using the tools already available in our labs. Imagine glowing trees one day replacing streetlights.”
The idea of glowing plants isn’t new. In recent years, scientists have experimented with genetic engineering to coax plants into producing their own light. While these efforts succeeded to some extent, the glow was usually faint, limited to green, and required complex, costly techniques.
Liu’s team took a different route—rather than reprogramming plants at the genetic level, they used afterglow phosphor particles, the same type of materials that give glow-in-the-dark toys their shine. These particles absorb sunlight or artificial light and release it gradually over time, creating a long-lasting glow.
Finding the Right Formula
One of the biggest challenges was ensuring that the phosphor particles could travel through the plants’ leaf tissues. Size turned out to be the deciding factor.
“Smaller, nano-sized particles spread easily within the plant but produced only a dim glow,” Liu explains. “Larger particles glowed brightly but couldn’t move far inside the tissue.”
The sweet spot was about 7 micrometers, roughly the width of a human red blood cell. At this size, the particles both dispersed efficiently and emitted a strong glow.
The researchers tested several plant species, including succulents, golden pothos, and even bok choy. Surprisingly, succulents turned out to be the clear winners. Their leaves contain narrow, uniform, and evenly distributed internal channels, which allowed the particles to spread evenly throughout the tissue. After just a few minutes of exposure to sunlight or LED light, the modified succulents glowed for up to two hours.
“It was really unexpected,” Liu admits. “We assumed plants with looser tissue structures would glow better. Instead, the succulents lit up almost instantly, with their leaves glowing evenly in just seconds.”
Plants That Glow in Color
By experimenting with different types of phosphors, the team created plants that could glow not only in green but also in red and blue. To showcase their achievement, they assembled a living plant wall of 56 glowing succulents. The wall was bright enough to illuminate nearby objects and even allow someone to read a text message.
Each glowing plant costs a little more than 10 yuan (around $1.40) to prepare and takes about 10 minutes to modify—excluding labor costs. That makes the process far cheaper and simpler than genetic engineering approaches.
Toward Sustainable Plant-Based Lighting
The glow does fade over time, and the team is still studying how safe the particles are for the plants in the long run. Still, the early results are promising. Such glowing succulents could eventually be used as low-intensity lighting for gardens, walkways, or indoor décor, offering a sustainable alternative to electricity-based lights. The researchers are also exploring how to extend the method to other types of plants beyond succulents.
For Liu, the project demonstrates something deeper than just a scientific advance. “I find it incredible that an entirely human-made, micro-scale material can integrate so seamlessly with the natural structure of a plant,” she says. “It’s almost magical—the way the materials and the biology come together to create a new kind of functionality.”
In essence, what began as a vision inspired by science fiction is edging closer to reality. With further refinement, glowing plants may someday provide not just beauty, but also practical, eco-friendly lighting solutions—casting their quiet, otherworldly glow across homes, cities, and maybe even entire ecosystems.