Most plants find nickel to be pretty nasty stuff, and they won’t grow in soils rich in the metal.Streptanthus polygaloides. on the other hand.loves nickel.This member of the mustard family grows only in high-nickel soil in the shadow of the Sierra Nevada,in central California.Streptanthus is a rare type of plant known as a “hyperaccumulator.” All plants take up nutrients Most plants find nickel to be pretty nasty stuff, and they won’t grow in soils rich in the metal.Streptanthus polygaloides. on the other hand.loves nickel.This member of the mustard family grows only in high-nickel soil in the shadow Of the Sierra Nevada,in central California.Streptanthus is a rare type of plant known as a “hyperaccumulator.” All plants take up nutrients