Learn why swiss cheese plants have holes.
The leaves of Swiss cheese plants are full of naturally occurring holes, which scientists have theorized are useful in reducing the amount of stress that is felt by the plants from extreme weather like hurricanes, or as camouflage to hide them from herbivores.
Research by scientists from Indiana University in Bloomington suggests that the holes 'allow the plants to capture sunlight more regularly' in the dense rainforests where it grows.
The Swiss cheese plant is an epiphyte, growing aerial roots that climb upwards attaching to the host tree.
It is usually grown as a houseplant, but it also grows in the wild from Colombia to parts of southern Mexico.
Other plants that have evolved physical attributes to help them survive in harsh environments include cacti and evergreens.
Professor David Salt, from Purdue University, who has studied genetic plant variation said: “Driven by natural selection, plants have been evolving to grow under harsh conditions for millennia. We need to understand genetically what is allowing these plants to survive these conditions."
