The Language of Plants: How They Communicate With Their Environment

Early Ideas and the Emergence of Plant Communication Research

Interest in plant responsiveness gained public attention in the 1970s, notably through the work of Peter Tompkins and Christopher Bird, who explored the idea that plants could react to human emotions, music, or intention. Although many of these claims were later discredited due to a lack of scientific rigor, they helped stimulate curiosity about plant perception and interaction.

Subsequent research took a more cautious and evidence-based approach. Scientists began focusing on measurable physiological processes, identifying ways in which plants respond to environmental cues and communicate with other organisms through well-defined biological mechanisms.

Chemical Signalling: A Core Mode of Plant Communication

One of the most well-established forms of plant communication involves chemical signalling, particularly through the release of volatile organic compounds (VOCs). These compounds play a role in multiple biological processes, including:

• Activating defence responses against pests and pathogens

• Attracting beneficial insects such as pollinators or predatory species

• Mediating interactions with soil microorganisms, including fungi

• Influencing growth patterns and competition among neighbouring plants

Chemical signals allow plants to respond rapidly to environmental stress and to coordinate responses both above and below ground. These processes are now widely recognised as central to plant ecology.

Underground Networks and Resource Sharing

Another extensively studied mechanism of plant interaction involves mycorrhizal networks — symbiotic fungal systems that connect plant roots underground. Through these networks, plants can exchange nutrients and transmit chemical signals.

Research suggests that mycorrhizal connections may allow plants to:

• Share essential resources such as nitrogen or phosphorus

• Respond to environmental stress collectively

• Signal the presence of pests or disease to neighbouring plants

While the ecological implications of these networks are still being explored, they demonstrate that plant interactions often extend beyond individual organisms, contributing to ecosystem-level coordination.

Electrical Signalling in Plants

Plants also use electrical signals to transmit information internally. These signals are slower and structurally different from neural impulses in animals, but they play an important role in regulating plant responses to stimuli such as injury, light changes, or water availability.

Electrical signalling has been observed to influence:

• Defence responses

• Growth regulation

• Coordination between distant plant tissues

This form of signalling highlights how plants integrate information across their structures to adapt to changing conditions.

Sound and Vibration: An Emerging Area of Research

More recently, scientists have begun investigating whether plants respond to — or generate — sound and vibrational signals. This field, sometimes referred to as plant bioacoustics, is still emerging and requires careful interpretation.

Experimental studies suggest that plants may respond to specific frequencies of sound or vibration, and that certain physiological processes — such as water transport within xylem vessels — can generate acoustic emissions. In some cases, roots have been observed producing faint clicking sounds that travel through soil.

While the biological significance of these sounds remains under investigation, researchers are exploring whether they may carry information relevant to environmental stress, hydration status, or interactions with other organisms.

Translating Plant Signals Into Human-Readable Data

Advances in technology now allow researchers to detect and record plant electrical activity using electrodes placed on plant tissues. These signals can be translated into visual or acoustic representations, enabling scientists to monitor plant responses in real time.

This approach does not imply intentional communication with humans, but it provides valuable insight into plant stress responses. For example, changes in electrical signalling patterns may indicate water deficiency, physical damage, or environmental competition.

Why Plant Communication Research Matters

Understanding how plants sense and respond to their environment has practical implications across several fields.

In agriculture, monitoring plant signals could improve irrigation efficiency and crop management by identifying stress before visible damage occurs. In conservation, such knowledge may support ecosystem monitoring and biodiversity protection. Additionally, many plant-derived compounds involved in signalling pathways have long been recognised for their therapeutic potential, reinforcing the connection between plant biology, environmental health, and human wellbeing.

Rethinking Our Relationship With Plants

Research into plant communication challenges the notion of plants as passive life forms. Instead, it reveals organisms equipped with complex sensory and regulatory systems that allow them to adapt continuously to their environment.

While many questions remain unanswered, this growing body of research encourages a more informed and respectful relationship with plant life. By understanding the mechanisms through which plants interact with their surroundings, we gain deeper insight into ecosystem resilience and the interconnected nature of living systems.