The Firefly Petunia, a bioluminescent plant | Light Bio
Light Bio’s Firefly Petunia, a bioluminescent plant that emits a soft green glow, has earned a place among TIME’s “Best Inventions of 2024.” This plant has captured public attention for its ability to bring natural illumination into homes and gardens. With abundant white blooms by daylight, it transforms into a display of living light after dusk.
“This recognition by TIME, and the unique experience we’re providing to people across the country, is the result of decades of scientific effort,” says Dr. Keith Wood, Light Bio’s CEO, framing the achievement as both a technological breakthrough and a cultural milestone.
To compile this year’s list, TIME gathered nominations from its global network of editors and correspondents and accepted submissions through an online application process, emphasizing frontier disciplines such as healthcare, AI, and green energy. Each nominee was then evaluated based on several criteria, including:
- Ambition
- Effectiveness
- Originality
- Overall impact
Of this year’s list, TIME’s editors write, “The result is a list of 200 groundbreaking inventions (and 50 special mention inventions) — including the world’s largest computer chip, a humanoid robot joining the workforce, and a bioluminescent houseplant — that are changing how we live, work, play, and think about what’s possible.”
More Than Just a Pretty Plant
The Firefly Petunia was named so because its bright buds resemble fireflies. Designed purely for enjoyment, it marks a shift from biotechnology’s traditionally utilitarian path. It offers a reminder that cutting-edge science need not only be practical; it can also bring beauty to the world. It further sets a horticultural milestone by introducing ornamental qualities beyond the reach of conventional breeding.
This invention took root in an unexpected discovery — that the molecular basis of bioluminescence in certain luminous mushrooms meshes seamlessly with plant biology. The set of genes responsible for bioluminescence was found to work remarkably well in plants. With further adjustments to the genetic design, scientists boosted the brightness and achieved steady illumination in petunias.
Petunias are among the world’s most beloved ornamental plants, prized for their easy cultivation and profusion of blooms. The Firefly Petunia can be grown in pots, hanging baskets, or garden beds, reaching 8 to 10 inches in size. It glows continuously without the need for special conditions or treatments.
Reimagining the Horticultural Industry
The Firefly Petunia is generating renewed interest in the horticultural market, drawing in a wave of new customers who view it as a wholly new category of plant.
Consumers can purchase the Firefly Petunia plants through multiple channels. Available now for pre-order on Light Bio’s website (www.light.bio) for spring delivery, the plant will also be stocked on other online platforms.
Growers and independent garden centers interested in carrying the Firefly Petunia should contact Rooted in Solutions, LLC ([email protected]), the exclusive licensed distributor of the plant in North America through a partnership with Light Bio. Rooted in Solutions is led by industry veterans Susie Raker and Casey Stanton of Raker-Roberta’s Young Plants in Michigan, along with Jim Devereux of Green Fuse Botanicals in California.
