In a recent study, plants have been discovered to emit ultrasonic sounds when under stress, suggesting a previously unknown form of communication. These inaudible clicks and pops serve as distress signals and can be detected within a meter’s radius. Researchers used machine learning to differentiate between the sounds produced by unstressed, dehydrated, and cut plants, finding that stressed plants emit up to 40 clicks per hour. Various plant species, including wheat, corn, grapes, cacti, and henbit, were observed making sounds. The study raises questions about how and why plants produce these sounds and their potential impact on other organisms’ behavior.
Source: https://www.cell.com/cell/fulltext/S0092-8674(23)00262-3