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From slow-growing grass to whistling carrots, we’ve compiled some of our favorite “plant hoaxes” from across the Ages.
Spaghetti Tree Hoax
In 1957, the BBC broadcast a fabricated documentary about the harvest of spaghetti in Switzerland, presenting details about how careful cultivation of the trees allows the spaghetti to grow to the same length each year. At the time, spaghetti was not widely consumed in England and television (especially news stations) was a far more honest adventure.
Slow Growing Grass
A boon (too good to be true) to gardeners and homeowners everywhere, the London Times reported in 1991 a new variety of “slow growing grass” had been developed. Regardless of the weather, the grass supposedly only grew one inch per year. Unfortunately, mowing the grass still retains its top spot among dreaded weekend chores– at least for now.
Cottingly Faeries
Towards the end of WWI, young cousins Frances and Elsie Wright took a series of photographs of themselves with fairies, who they insisted they saw frequently in the gardens around their home. The photos attracted the interest of famed author Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, who published articles on the photographs in the Strand Magazine. Later in life, the girls revealed the photos were staged using mounted illustrations from a book, but maintained they had truly seen faeries out in the wild.
Whistling Carrots
Tesco (a home essentials store) announced in 2002 it had successfully engineered a carrot with small holes along the side, causing it to whistle when it was fully cooked. The farcical announcement also acknowledged opponents’ concerns that the high pitched whistling could cause deafness among a new generation of chefs.
Conversing With Plants
Talking to plants is an established practice (one with tangible results) but on April Fools in 1979, the Kansas Botanical Laboratory announced they had figured out a way to translate the vibrations between humans and plants. While the researchers acknowledged there wasn’t really a potential for “great philosophical discussion” the paper confirmed two-way communication.
Budweiser Tulip
On April Fool’s Day in 2012, Heineken unveiled their alleged hybrid bulb, Ellipsus, which resembled a glass of Heineken (foamy white head, golden color, and even their signature red star along the side) and would have brought a whole new meaning to the term “beer garden”.