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You know, if I could have my time again, I think I would be a microbial ecologist. I would spend my time studying micro-organisms in their natural environment. I'd cut my way through forests of bacteria on a grain of sand. I would imagine myself in a submarine in a drop of water that seemed as large as a lake, and for one more turn around, I would be an explorer naturalist in a new world.

E.O. Wilson

Model organisms such as Arabidopsis thaliana are usually chosen based on criteria other than prettiness.

Its probably cause its easy to grow and you can get 8 generations a year to study in the lab.

Not in the field you're referring to, but C. Elegans also comes to mind.