Thornless Roses?

On Valentine’s Day, some people show their love with roses—but usually only after the flowers’ sharp thorns have been removed. Thorns—which scientists refer to as prickles—help many plant species defend against animals trying to eat them. Recently, researchers in New York found what causes this spiky adaptation in plants.

The group studied 16 wild relatives of eggplants that once had prickles but lost them as they evolved. The team found that changes to a single gene—or unit of hereditary material—caused the disappearance of prickles across the group.

When the scientists made changes to the same gene in other prickly species, they too lost their thorns. This technique could make it possible to grow friendlier versions of roses, says Zachary Lippman, who led the study.