Aspirin and the longevity of plants?

[oexnorth]

I've heard that adding crushed aspirin to cut flowers improves the lifetime of flowers. Is this really true?

 

[oexnorth]

Ok, after reading on this topic a bit, the only reasonable answer I could get was that the aspirin prevents any harmful bacteria from getting in the water. Does anyone know if this is the only reason, or the reason at all?

 

[lisab]

Maybe you should do a simple experiment .

Goofy thought: if aspirin prolonged plant life, the oldest plants in the world would be White Willows.

 

[oexnorth]

Maybe you should do a simple experiment .

Goofy thought: if aspirin prolonged plant life, the oldest plants in the world would be White Willows.

Yeah, I thought about that. It was something that I heard and wondered if there was anybody out there that already knew. If I have time, I'll do the experiment one day and see how it goes. Until then, I'll leave it up in the air.

 

[jhae2.718]

Experiment!

 

[lisab]

Experiment!

 

[oexnorth]

That's great. And true.

 

[nismaratwork]

Experiment!

OMG... I've never seen that one! BRAVO!


@OP: You'd be right.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salicylic_acid

Salicylic acid (SA) is a phenolic phytohormone and is found in plants with roles in plant growth and development, photosynthesis, transpiration, ion uptake and transport. SA also induces specific changes in leaf anatomy and chloroplast structure. SA is involved in endogenous signaling, mediating in plant defense against pathogens.[4] It plays a role in the resistance to pathogens by inducing the production of pathogenesis-related proteins.[5] It is involved in the systemic acquired resistance (SAR) in which a pathogenic attack on one part of the plant induces resistance in other parts. The signal can also move to nearby plants by salicyclic acid being converted to the volatile ester, methyl salicylate.[6]

edit: Really, how fantastic is Aspirin! I think the only thing it doesn't do is make toast... and induce clotting.

 

[oexnorth]

I also found this link. It's a Michigan State experiment.

https://www.msu.edu/course/lbs/145/luckie/inquiries2003/thebiles.html

 

[Proton Soup]

I also found this link. It's a Michigan State experiment.

https://www.msu.edu/course/lbs/145/luckie/inquiries2003/thebiles.html

maybe not the best experiment. but it will sell Flor*life

There was a higher water level in the Aspirin group. This could be explained by the fact that our Aspirin solution was saturated and may have been hypertonic to the daisies, thus pulling the water from the cells of the plant. Since we observed the stems of the Aspirin group becoming brown, it is possible that the cells were drying out and dying. This hypothesis is supported by research conducted by M. S. Neff on cut roses, which found that saturated sugar solutions appeared to result in excessive wilting (Neff 1942). So the saturated nature of the Aspirin solution could ultimately have been the cause of the extreme wilting and dryness of the daisies.

 

[oexnorth]

maybe not the best experiment. but it will sell Flor*life

It worked for me. I can't stop eating the stuff now. :)