Sweet pea pods explode in warm environments

By Fiona Ogilvie
March 17 2018 - 3:00pm
Sweet peas hybridise readily. A small selection should produce lots of interesting colours within a year or two. They were used in early genetics studies because of their easily recognisable features of colour, petal shape and height.
Sweet peas hybridise readily. A small selection should produce lots of interesting colours within a year or two. They were used in early genetics studies because of their easily recognisable features of colour, petal shape and height.

Quietly writing at my desk recently, I nearly jumped out of my skin at what sounded like a gunshot right under my nose. It was rapidly followed by another and then a third. To my total disbelief I saw some sweet pea seed pods, saved from last December and lying in a little dish on the blotter, were busily exploding and shooting out tiny bullet-like seeds in every direction. 

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