It Takes a Village: Tweaking neighbors reroutes evolution

When it comes to evolution, no plant stands alone.

MILITARY SPENDER. A black mustard plant contains strong-tasting sinigrin, which discourages slugs. Whether investing in sinigrin is a good idea depends on the plant’s neighbors. Lankau

For mustard plants, investing heavily in pest defense is a good idea if a different plant species lives next door, says Richard Lankau of the Illinois Natural History Survey in Champaign.