Quoted By:
Unlike Martian regolith, with concentrations of perchlorates in the region of 0.5% that is considered toxic to human and plant life, a few hardy species of edible plants have been demonstrated to grow in samples of lunar soil retrieved and studied in laboratory conditions on Earth.
Thale cress, or arabidopsis thaliana, a somewhat edible weed of the broccoli / turnip / kale / cauliflower family, that can thrive in conditions akin to waste sites or volcanic ash, sprouts in lunar soil 48-60hrs after planting, with plant germination uninterrupted and normal stems and cotyledons developing even in an alien regolith substrate bombarded by cosmic rays; yet the seedlings that sprout are smaller, stunted in growth, with reddish black pigments within their leaves, gradually turning purple over time with signs of oxidative distress. However, in the harsh environment of glass and nanophase iron-flecked lunar soil, all that can be said is that the plants did not die.