HOW DO PEANUTS GROW?
MARK ONEAL, BRIGHTON
ALAMY, GETTY IMAGES ILLUSTRATION: PANAGIS MATSANGOURAS
Peanut plants are unusual because they flower above ground, but fruit below it. That’s why peanuts, which are native to South America, are often referred to as ‘ground nuts’. About 40 days after planting, delicate yellow blossoms appear around the lower third of the plant. After a few days, these self-pollinating blooms crumple and die, revealing budding ovaries known as ‘pegs’.