It may look like dew, but it's snot

In yesterday’s post about dew, I mentioned that the picture I posted did not actually show dew.

Dew is water droplets that appear on exposed objects in the morning or evening. As the exposed surface cools by radiating its heat, atmospheric moisture condenses at a rate greater than that of which it can evaporate, resulting in the formation of water droplets.

What yesterday’s and today’s photos depict is guttation. Guttation is the appearance of drops of sap on the tips or edges of leaves or grass. High moisture content of the soil builds pressure in the roots, sometimes causing plants to exude water through their leaf tips. The fluid usually contains sugars and some minerals. Kind of like plant snot.

ChrisJ, who commented on yesterday’s post, flirted with the answer. She knew something that I didn’t until a couple of days ago. Leave it to a teacher.

Click on picture to enlarge. Photograph © 2008 James Jordan.