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| Water beads on nasturtium leaf. Photo: Aaron Bell |
Biomimicry, using nature's unique designs as models, has proven very successful in many fields. Advancements in water-proof materials are currently being forwarded thanks to a common, unassuming garden plant, the nasturtium.
Due to the shape of the leaf surface (and particularly the vascular system of the leaf), the nasturtium ranks among the most water repellant materials found in nature. If you're familiar with the plant, you may have seen how dew or rain readily beads on the large, round leaves as well as on the blossoms. A neat characteristic, to be sure, and one that's gaining attention industrially around the globe. Read more in this BBC article.
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