The Private Life of Plants: Growing
(1995)
Private Life of Plants: Growing is an intriguing insight into how plants gather their sustenance, time-lapse photography revealing the fight new leaves face for a place in the sun, and the ingenious methods employed to ward off animal attacks. Cheese plants scale the nearest tree to bask in sunlight, mimosa folds up on touch, and camouflage, spines and poison are just a few of the defence mechanisms regularly put to use.
The second of six episodes in David Attenborough's specialised series, The Private Life of Plants: Growing provides a unique insight into the living 'factories' that are leaves. In the search for water, sycamore trees silently pump four hundred and fifty litres of water up their trunk each hour, roots probe incredible distances beneath the ground and leaves have specially designed 'gutters' that prevent clogging when excessive rains arrive.
After initial doubts over public acceptance of a series focusing solely on botany, The Private Life of Plants is credited with revolutionising the nation's perception of flora. Receiving a Panda Award for Cinematography at Wildscreen 1996, BBC Natural History Unit producer Mike Salisbury enlisted the talents of a whole host of wildlife cameramen, including the renowned photographers Hugh Miles, Mike deGruy and Steve Downer. Detailing a fascinating array of species, from the carnivorous trumpet pitcher in Borneo to the inner workings of a common begonia, Growing grants a fascinating insight into a world invisible to the human eye.
The Private Life of Plants: Travelling (1995)
David Attenborough
