Learn more about what we are working on and how we want to make an impact in the world!
Plant • Environment • Climate • Interaction
A citizen science project
How do plants adapt to environmental changes and climate change? Find one of our five target species, record it with your smartphone—and help support real research. It only takes a few minutes, is available throughout the EU, and goes on all year round.
Order your collection bags now!
What we're focused on
These are all relevant research questions that we deal with daily and that form the basis for PUKI.
Four steps to participate
- Download the app: Install Flora Incognita and activate the PUKI project.
- Find a target species: Look for one of the five species along the side of the road, in the grass, or in a pavement crack.
- Enter data: Enter up to 11 details in the app—measure, count, and describe the surroundings.
- Send a sample (optional): Use our collection bags to send leaf, pod, and soil samples to the institute.
For detailed instructions, visit Join us! or watch our intro video.
Prof. Dr. Petra Bauer
Head of Institute
Institut für Botanik
Heinrich Heine Universität
Universitätsstr. 1
40225 Düsseldorf
Dr. Lilli Pazurek-Weber
Research associate
Send Email
Building: 26.14
Floor/room: 01.67
Learn more about PUKI and the work we do at HHU
The Five Stars of the Project
Small, unassuming cruciferous plants (Brassicaceae family) and yet they’re all of great interest to current research. Here’s a brief profile of each of our five target plants.
The target plants for our project are thale cress (Arabidopsis thaliana), hairy bittercress (Cardamine hirsuta), common shepherd’s purse (Capsella bursa-pastoris), Brassica rapa, and perennial wall-rocket (Diplotaxis tenuifolia).
You can participate in PUKI all year round. The first plants start blooming in February, and you can still find two of the five target species as late as the end of October.
Shepherd’s purse even blooms all year round!
