If you’ve ever witnessed bioluminescence in nature, you know it’s a mesmerizing sight. Bioluminescence is a chemical reaction found in living organisms, typically in the ocean. While it’s less common on land, a few organisms like beetles, fireflies, fungi, and glow worms exhibit this phenomenon. But now, starting from spring 2025, you can see bioluminescence nightly from a common flower.
Light Bio has successfully combined a bioluminescent mushroom (Neonothopanus nambi) with petunias (Petunia atkinsiana) to create bioluminescent houseplants called Firefly Petunias ($39.99 for three young plants). These plants grow well in gardens, hanging baskets, or pots. During the day, they look like normal white petunias, but at night, they emit a soft bioluminescent glow similar to moonlight.
These genetically engineered flowers glow naturally and don’t require any special treatment. However, placing an overripe banana next to your Firefly Petunia can enhance its glow. Just like glow-in-the-dark toys charged under a lamp, these petunias shine brighter with more light exposure (Light Bio recommends at least six hours of sunlight per day).
Why do bananas affect luminescence?
This intriguing banana hack works because bananas produce ethylene gas, a plant hormone that accelerates ripening. You might have heard not to store bananas with other produce as they can hasten spoilage. This ethylene production also allows you to ripen other fruits quickly, like placing a banana with an avocado. While other fruits and vegetables produce ethylene as well, bananas do so in higher quantities.
How does this relate to bioluminescence? Similar to sunlight and water, ethylene gas speeds up the petunias’ metabolism, directly impacting their glow. Research from Planta, a Russian company that first experimented with bioluminescent plants and contributed to Light Bio’s work, supports this. Planta researchers found that ripe banana skins significantly increased plant luminescence. Interestingly, bananas are the only fruit or vegetable to exhibit bright blue luminescence under blacklight, due to rapid chlorophyll breakdown during ripening.
