The Plant That Can Literally Eat Metal (And It’s Growing in Your Backyard)

4. How Metal Uptake Works

These plants use specialized proteins and cellular pathways to absorb metals from the soil and transport them safely into their tissues. They convert harmful metals into less toxic forms, storing them in vacuoles or cell walls.
This clever adaptation allows them to thrive in metal-rich environments without suffering toxic effects. For a deeper dive, see Nature.