Gardening is a hobby that anyone can engage in, with numerous physical and mental health benefits. However, some gardeners take their love of plants to the next level while searching for rare specimens you don't find in ordinary stores. 

One YouTuber, Laur, runs Plants in Jars (@plantsinjars) and is committed to teaching the world about tissue culture. Laur developed a process to replicate hard-to-find plants in demand among a subculture of rare-flora collectors. 

Her work has gone viral and was recently a hot topic of conversation on the subreddit r/nottheonion. 

Laur's process involves taking a piece of tissue from an existing plant, sterilizing it, and placing it in a gel to promote growth. It's a fast and effective way to grow unique plants, and anyone can do it. 

In fact, Laur sells starter kits on her website to help others propagate rare plant species. 

"I think that the era of gatekeeping rare plants is over," Laur said. "Even if you do tissue culture very badly, you can still end up with a lot of plants. It's a very powerful propagation tool."

Laur's plant propagation is fascinating because it's a type of cloning that replicates natural processes. 

She has received criticism regarding her technique for preventing natural genetic variation. However, others have praised her approach for helping curb the illegal trade in rare plants, which often involves smuggling plants across international borders. 

If you decide to grow your own rare plants, it's important to be mindful of the dangers of invasive species and how non-native plants can take over local ecosystems. Because many plants reproduce quickly and displace native plants nearby, consider keeping rare plants safely in containers, where you can admire them without affecting the surrounding environment. 

A sustainable approach to gardening is to focus on growing a natural lawn filled with native plants that support local pollinators and biodiversity. When you grow plants that naturally thrive where you live, you can also save time and money on gardening chores while enjoying low-maintenance beauty year-round. 

Where do you buy your plants? Local nurseries 🌷 Big box garden centers 🪴 Farmers markets 🧑‍🌾 I grow from seeds 🌱 Click your choice to see results and speak your mind.

Regardless, Laur's tissue cloning process has captivated the imagination of social media users worldwide. 

"It's rad," one Reddit user commented. "You're essentially taking plant stem cells and bootstrapping them to regrow the entire plant as if from a seed." 

"Fun fact, some varieties are patented, and if you buy/own one, it's illegal to propagate it," another Redditor shared. "The rare plant market doesn't mess around." 

"Tissue cloning … I gotta watch it in full and understand this process," someone else wrote. 

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