Things plants know By Dorothy Dobbie
Researchers have found the sensitive plant (Mimosa pudica) can learn.
O
ver the past few years, we have been discovering that plants “know” a lot more than we used to think They have memories and learn from experience. They can sense objects around them and can detect presences beyond their own. They have complicated inner clocks that tell them when it its time to wake up or go to sleep or set blossom, seed or drop leaves. Plants can learn the habits of animals and take advantage of those habits. They adapt to invaders and form co-operative relationships. They know when there are enemies in the area and produce chemicals to ward them off or even to lure them to their demise. They have a secret underground relationship with families of fungus and bacteria that not only carry messages to other plants but practice trade, exchanging digestible minerals for carbohydrates produced by the plant. Physically, although they aren’t mobile, plants have learned how to have long distance sex, rejuvenate lost body parts and, what’s more, some can live for hundreds, even thousands, of years. Don’t laugh. All these things are being seriously studlocalgardener.net
Animals learn to beware the numbing effects of eating dieffenbachia. Issue 1
2020 • 35
