Plant communication

Plants have many ways to talk to each other and to other living things around them. They face problems like sickness, cold or hot weather, and animals that might eat them. To stay safe and healthy, plants have developed special ways to share information quickly.

One way plants communicate is by releasing tiny chemicals into the air. These chemicals are called volatile organic compounds, or VOCs for short. They can tell other plants, insects, fungi, and tiny creatures in the soil what is happening. For example, some of these chemicals can warn nearby plants that they might be in danger, or they can attract helpful insects that can protect the plants.

Terpenoids are a big group of these special chemicals. They help plants talk to many different kinds of living things. Some terpenoids can attract helpful insects, while others can scare away harmful ones. For instance, certain pine trees make chemicals that attract some beetles but scare away others. These chemicals are very important for helping plants survive in a changing world.

Plants use two main pathways to make these chemicals, and they all start with small building blocks called isoprenoid units. These pathways help plants create a huge variety of messages to use in different situations.

Electrical signaling

Plants can send electrical signals from their leaves to their stems and roots to talk to each other. Scientists have studied this since the late 1800s. They noticed that some plants act like animal nerves.

Plants use two main types of electrical signals. One is called an action potential. It works in an "all or nothing" way, like signals in animals. The other is a variation potential. It is slower and can start several action potentials. These signals move through special plant parts. They help plants react fast to dangers, like being eaten, by changing how some genes work. This quick response helps the plant stay healthy.

Hydraulic signalling

In 2025, scientists found out more about how plants send messages over long distances using water pressure. They learned that changes in water pressure inside plants can carry important messages. These pressure changes help plants react to problems like drought or damage by changing their growth and other actions.

Below-ground communication

Plants can talk to each other through their roots. They send signals to warn neighbors about problems like drought. When one plant feels stressed, it can let others know, and they can prepare too. This happens especially when plants share the same root system.

Plants also talk using special networks made by fungi called mycorrhizal networks. These networks connect plant roots and let them share things like carbon and nutrients. Scientists found that trees like paper birch and Douglas-fir can share carbon through these networks, helping each other grow better. This underground communication helps plants work together to survive in different conditions.

Acoustic communication

Plants can respond to sounds and also make sounds we cannot hear. These sounds are very high-pitched and are called ultrasonic sounds. Some animals, like bats, mice, and moths, can hear them. In 2025, scientists showed that plants make ultrasonic clicks that show how healthy they are. Moths use these clicks to find healthy plants to lay their eggs on.

Many grasses send out special smell signals when they get hurt, like when animals eat them or when they are cut. These smells are called green leaf volatiles. These smells can warn nearby plants to get ready for danger or attract animals that might eat the insects hurting the plants.