A hypothetical plant which automatically grows crop which generates more output each period. The plant represents the idea of a “free lunch”. A thing that is self-sustaining, ongoing, and creates rising value over time1.
Originates from the economist Frank Knight and draws its name the Robinson Crusoe novel where the plants on the island yielded fruit for no labor1.
1. Cowen, T. Stubborn Attachments: A Vision for a Society of Free, Prosperous, and Responsible Individuals. (Stripe Press, San Francisco, CA, 2018).