14 DAY TRIAL // Unfortunately, money does not grow on trees. Gold, on the other hand, appears to do just this. Thus, a new paper published in the journal Nature Communications details the discovery of gold particles in the leaves and branches of eucalyptus trees growing in Western Australia's Kalgoorlie region.
Researchers explain that, according to their investigations, these trees come to store gold in their leaves and branches after absorbing it from the ground alongside various nutrients.
“The eucalypt acts as a hydraulic pump – its roots extend tens of meters into the ground and draw up water containing the gold,” explains geochemist Dr. Mel Lintern, as cited by Science News.
“As the gold is likely to be toxic to the plant, it's moved to the leaves and branches where it can be released or shed to the ground,” he further details.
Seeing how the gold particles stored in these trees have a diameter about five times smaller than that of the average human hair, it's highly unlikely that the discovery will translate into a gold rush.
Still, specialists maintain that the presence of various concentrations of gold particles in eucalyptus trees in Western Australia could help pin down gold deposits in the underground without having to carry out drilling activities.
“By sampling and analyzing vegetation for traces of minerals, we may get an idea of what's happening below the surface without the need to drill. It's a more targeted way of searching for minerals that reduces costs and impact on the environment,” Dr. Mel Lintern says.