China is rubbing its hands together after discovering a ‘beastly fern’ of rare earth minerals: it is the only living plant capable of recovering the minerals

Researchers in China have reported a remarkable discovery: a fern that naturally contains rare earth minerals, an occurrence considered unique worldwide. This breakthrough could pave the way for an eco-friendly, circular model of harvesting these highly valuable elements.

Rare earth minerals found in a living plant for the first time

Scientists identified nanoscale monazite—a rare earth mineral—inside a living fern. This discovery opens the door to directly recovering functional materials from plants, potentially revolutionizing how rare earth elements are obtained. Traditional mining is often destructive and environmentally costly; this plant-based method could offer a cleaner alternative.

A game-changer for phytomining

Until now, no evidence existed of rare earth elements crystallizing as minerals within a living plant. This finding supports the feasibility of phytomining, a technique that leverages plants to concentrate and extract minerals from the soil.

The study suggests that using plants like this fern could become an innovative, sustainable method for developing rare earth resources. By relying on vegetation rather than heavy machinery, researchers say, the environmental impact could be significantly reduced compared to conventional mining.

Global collaboration in groundbreaking research

The research was conducted by the Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, in partnership with the Department of Geosciences at Virginia Tech in the United States. Combining expertise in geoscience and botany, the team is exploring new ways to obtain critical materials essential for a wide range of industries—from electronics to renewable energy.

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