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Make Flowers Glow in the Dark with Highlighter Fluid and UV Light

video Make Flowers Glow in the Dark with Highlighter Fluid and UV Light

In this video we make white carnation flowers glow in the dark when exposed to ultraviolet light.

What we're essentially going is making them fluorescent. To do this we get a fluorescent highlighter and open it up to get the foam ink cartridge. Then squeeze a few drops of the ink into a cup of water. Place the base of a white carnation flower into the solution and cut the stem underneath. Leave the flower overnight for the solution to absorb through.

The next day, simply shine an ultraviolet light onto the flower to cause the fluorescent dye to glow.

23 comments

Aug 25, 2011. 1:28 PMshowup says:

Nice one

Mar 20, 2011. 12:02 PMPJEC says:

Would it work, say, if you cut away a shape in the stem, say, a star, and then seperated it out into it into which colours you want?

Mar 20, 2011. 4:23 PMbig-jamie says:

i dont quite understand what you mean, but have you ever seen or heard of rainbow roses ? theyr made by splitting the stem, placing each stem piece in coloured water and they soak up each difference colour to produce a so called 'rainbow'

http://thefuntimesguide.com/images/blogs/a-bunch-of-rainbow-roses-for-sale-by-Gertrud-K.jpg (genuinely not photoshopped btw)

Mar 21, 2011. 11:13 AMPJEC says:

Sorry, I didn't really explian it very well. What I mean is, you split the stem to form a basic image in the centre of the stem, then dip only that centre into a colour and the offcuts into a different colour, so you end up with a shape of your choice on the flower.

Mar 21, 2011. 8:38 AM

kathrynl says:

This is so cool. I can't wait to have some fun with this. Thanks!

Feb 11, 2011. 7:56 PMthelastonekills says:

random but so cool!

just wondering in the way of colours go? are there any others that can be done easily?
do they stay fluorescent if they are dried?

any whay to make them with the glow in the dark powder stuff, so you dont need the light?

could this be done to a lliving plant with out killing it some how?

Feb 12, 2011. 9:14 AMawesaomeness5 says:

i know that fish have been geneticly engineered to glow in the dark using jellyfish genes. i think the the powder woul work if you dissolved it into water and then watered the plant with it. i think highliters aare easier and i have already done something similiar to this but without the flower.

Feb 12, 2011. 4:20 PMthelastonekills says:

any interesting similar stuff?
i have heared about the fish, they sound funny.
so the glow powder can be dissolved?
would this be any use for staining cells?

Mar 10, 2011. 6:33 PMawesaomeness5 says:

Well scientist have already died cancer cells in a popular science magazine called pop(ular) science and it is really interesting. I would suggest you check it out.

Feb 20, 2011. 10:58 PMlove2make says:

what ould happen if you used glow stick fluid would it glow without the uv light

Feb 21, 2011. 2:00 PMcodongolev says:

I would expect that to kill the flower, and besides, glow sticks use a chemical reaction that would have probably ended by the time the flower absorbed the chemicals.

Feb 10, 2011. 7:03 PMJimmy Proton says:

I went a little crazy with it...

Feb 21, 2011. 10:39 AMMudbud says:

*jaw drops* dude, that is a bit crazy.. but AWESOME! Don't give it to ur cat though *chuckles* jk

Feb 19, 2011. 11:34 PMikoneckox3 says:

what would happen if ( i ) drank highlighter water for like a week? :D ;D

Feb 14, 2011. 2:04 AMsminhinnick says:

An old trick is to get a white rose on a long stem. Get two tall glasses of water, side by side. Add red food coloring into one glass and yellow food coloring into the other (or any other color combination you like). Then carefully split the rose stem in half with a sharp knife, so that one side of the stem can soak up the red water and the other side of the stem can absorb the yellow water. After a day or so the rose flower will be half red and half yellow.

Remove the rose from the colored water and shorten the stem so no-one can work out how you did it.

Feb 13, 2011. 6:15 AMgansa says:

London - is capital off Great Britan?...

Feb 12, 2011. 8:19 AM

kill1234 says:

Ha ha... Wonder what the reaction of your valentine would be...

Feb 12, 2011. 9:08 AMawesaomeness5 says:

i wonder if it would work on different colored roses like red aand yellow. i would also like to ask if there are any girls that saw this and would like one. also what brand of highliter do you think was used?

Feb 11, 2011. 11:05 AMAsmodeous says:

beautiful!

Feb 11, 2011. 10:11 AMchiefchace says:

PRETTY AWESOME man

Feb 11, 2011. 10:04 AMmcshawnboy says:

NurdRage UR videos rock! I sent this one to a friend that's a professional floral designer. I told her they could target stoner's! Any chance you could help those of us that use Liver of Sulphur & other chemical preparations such as pickle in jewelry fabrication? Possibly an eco solution? I liked the golden penny & if you stop the Liver of Sulphur at the correct stage you get a golden hue.