The Chinese team injected light-emitting compounds into the plants, allowing the succulents to produce a brilliance comparable to a night light. Expanding Bioluminescence“Picture the world of Avatar, where glowing plants light up an entire ecosystem,” says first author Shuting Liu of South China Agricultural University. The phosphor particles absorb light from their environment, retain it, and then slowly release it over time, producing an enduring glow. With only a few minutes of sunlight or LED light exposure, the researchers timed the plants’ glow, which lasted as long as two hours. Additionally, the researchers successfully crafted a reading light by lining a wall with 56 glowing succulents.