Peanut plants are unusual because they flower above ground, but fruit below it. That’s why peanuts, which are native to South America, are often referred to as ‘ground nuts’.
About 40 days after planting, delicate yellow blossoms appear around the lower third of the plant. After a few days, these self-pollinating blooms crumple and die, revealing budding ovaries known as ‘pegs’.
Here’s where things get weird. As their petals shrivel, the pegs’ stems curve downward, plunging the pegs into the soil.
Underground, they slowly develop into pods, each containing a pair of seeds – or peanuts.
The whole process, from planting to harvest-ready, takes about five months.
This article is an answer to the question (asked by Mark Oneal, Brighton) 'How do peanuts grow?'
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