Journal/Plant Science & Curiosities · 6 min read
Do Plants Really Communicate? The Science
Plants send chemical distress signals, share nutrients through fungal networks, and click ultrasonic sounds when stressed. The science, without the woo.
Quick answer
Yes — plants communicate, but not in the human sense. They release volatile organic compounds to warn neighbours of pest attack, exchange resources via underground mycorrhizal fungal networks, and emit ultrasonic clicks when stressed. It's chemical signalling, not language.
For decades, "talking plants" was the province of pop-science books and hopeful gardeners. Then peer-reviewed studies started stacking up. Plants do communicate — just not the way you or your grandma thinks.
1. Airborne chemical signals
When leaves are damaged by insects, plants release volatile organic compounds (VOCs) — mostly terpenes and jasmonates. Neighbouring plants of the same species pick these up and pre-emptively ramp up their own chemical defences. This has been documented in tomatoes, sagebrush, corn, and many trees (Kessler et al., 2006; Karban et al., 2000).
2. The "wood wide web"
Trees are connected by underground networks of mycorrhizal fungi that colonise their roots. Suzanne Simard's research at UBC showed that in forests, larger "mother trees" share carbon and nitrogen with seedlings through these fungal networks — and can direct more resources to their own kin. Whether this counts as 'communication' or just resource flow is still debated, but the connection is undeniable.
3. Ultrasonic clicks
In 2023, researchers at Tel Aviv University recorded tomato and tobacco plants emitting rapid ultrasonic clicks (20–100 kHz — inaudible to humans) at rates that spiked when the plants were dehydrated or cut. Whether other plants 'hear' this is unknown, but insects and small mammals almost certainly do.
4. Electrical signals
When one leaf is damaged, the plant sends an electrical impulse through its vascular system to other leaves within seconds, triggering defensive gene expression across the whole plant. It's not a nervous system — plants have no neurons — but the signalling is real and fast.
What plants do NOT do
- Feel pain in any way analogous to animals (no nervous system, no brain).
- Grow better because you talk to them (small effects sometimes seen are from CO₂ from your breath, not language).
- Prefer classical music to death metal (studies show no effect of music genre, just vibration).
- Have preferences or emotions.
Why it matters
Understanding plant signalling has practical outcomes: pest-resistant crop varieties, better companion planting, and more responsible forestry that preserves mycorrhizal networks. It also reframes how we think about the world's biggest biomass — mostly plants, quietly running their own communication systems.
PlantMe's identification model uses computer vision, not plant chatter — but knowing what a plant is helps you understand what it's asking for.
Frequently asked questions
Should I talk to my houseplants?
Feel free. It's good for you. Any small effect on the plant comes from the CO₂ in your breath, not the words.
Can plants feel pain?
No — they lack a nervous system. They respond to damage with chemical and electrical signals, which is functionally different from what animals experience as pain.
Do houseplants share resources like forest trees?
In individual pots, no — they aren't connected. Plants sharing a large planter or garden bed can and do share via mycorrhizal fungi if those fungi are present in the soil.
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