This short animated film by Minute Earth explains how plants communicate with each other, sending signals both above and below ground to warn of external dangers (such as pests and lawnmowers). It’s fascinating to think that the smell of freshly cut grass may bring back childhood memories for us, but to a plant it means something very different. Over generations, plants have learned to interpret complex compounds in the air and react to them, literally communicating specific threats and reacting accordingly.

As the film explains, some crops such as corn and cotton can” summon” insects to help them out when they are under threat. Tomato plants can detect a neighbor’s illness and will start producing antibodies in response. As the film summarizes: “Plants have been chatting and eavesdropping in complex social networks since long before facebook and texting. If anything, we took a leaf from their book.”

If this topic interests you, you can also watch a full-length documentary about some of the latest research and amazing discoveries relating to plant consciousness here.

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