Add a penny to a vase to make tulips stand up straight

[snopes]

Comment: Does adding a penny to the water in a vase cause tulips to stand
up straight?

My employer started doing this to all of the flowers in our restaurant a
while back, and I was skeptical. I was able to find a few links related
to this, but nothing substantial:

http://www.potters.org/subject75273.htm

http://www.ehow.com/how_2000237_keep...ling-over.html

http://www.rd.com/tools-and-quizzes/...h/article.html

[Lady Luzhin]

My great-grandmother did this for years and all it did was turn the water all icky. The liquid plant food in the water did something odd to the penny, but I can't really remember what it was.

Originally Posted by snopes

Comment: Does adding a penny to the water in a vase cause tulips to stand up straight?

Add a dollar bill and they'll dance for you.

[DemonWolf]

Originally Posted by Lady Luzhin

My great-grandmother did this for years and all it did was turn the water all icky. The liquid plant food in the water did something odd to the penny, but I can't really remember what it was.

My guess would be that the penny corroded. When copper rusts it turns green.