By Digital Spartans 
In a remarkable breakthrough, scientists in Finland have discovered a natural process that allows gold to form within the leaves of trees. The study reveals that bacteria living inside Norway spruce needles can transform dissolved gold from the environment into solid gold nanoparticles, effectively making the tree “grow gold.”
The discovery was made by researchers from the University of Oulu and the Geological Survey of Finland, who analyzed 138 needle samples from 23 Norway spruce trees located near the Kittilä gold mine — one of Europe’s largest active gold sites.
To their astonishment, gold particles were found in four trees, embedded within bacterial biofilms living on the leaf surface. These microscopic communities appear to play a crucial role in converting trace amounts of gold dissolved in groundwater into metallic nanoparticles.
How Gold Forms in Trees
According to the researchers, groundwater beneath gold-rich soil can contain minuscule amounts of dissolved gold, which is absorbed by the tree’s roots. Inside the spruce needles, bacteria interact with these particles, triggering a biochemical reaction that precipitates gold into a solid form.
Over time, this process allows gold nanoparticles to accumulate in the leaves — not in visible chunks, but in concentrations detectable through high-resolution scientific imaging.
Lead researcher Dr. Emilia Hanninen explained that the findings demonstrate how trees can act as bio-indicators of hidden mineral deposits underground. “The presence of gold in tree leaves can provide a clue to nearby gold deposits and help improve environmentally friendly exploration methods,” she said.
A Greener Path to Gold Exploration
This discovery could revolutionize sustainable mineral exploration by reducing the need for invasive drilling. Instead of traditional mining methods, scientists can analyze vegetation to detect traces of valuable metals like gold, copper, or nickel beneath the surface.
Similar studies have been conducted in Australia and Canada, where eucalyptus and birch trees were found to draw up trace minerals from deep underground deposits. The Finnish research now adds new insight into how microbial activity within plants accelerates this process.
The study not only expands understanding of the complex interactions between trees and soil microbes but also opens new possibilities for bio-mining — a field that uses living organisms to extract and recover metals sustainably.