PLANTS know when you are going to chomp down on them – and they are NOT happy when they're about to be munched.

They have a special sense that alerts them to their imminent death, according to scientists at the University of Missouri.

2 Veggies know when they are being munched, according to this bizarre study Credit: PA

The scientists, hoping to finally work out whether live plants have a sense of awareness, carried out an experiment on a close relation to broccoli and kale called Thale cress.

The plant produces mustard oils which are slightly toxic and sour to the taste to keep predators away.

But to see whether the cress would produce the oil when being eaten rather than just being damaged, the scientists created a special scenario.

2 Thale cress is related to kale and broccoli Credit: Getty Images

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They recorded audio of the vibrations caterpillars - the thale cress' worst enemy - make while eating its leaves.

They also recorded vibrations similar to natural noises - such as a breeze - which plants might sense, too.

Scientists discovered that Thale cress only produced the toxic oils when it heard the "munching vibrations" and didn't react when the natural sounds were played.

Heidi Appel, senior research scientist in the Division of Plant Sciences in the College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources and the Bond Life Sciences Centre at the University of Missouri said: "Previous research has investigated how plants respond to acoustic energy, including music.

"However, our work is the first example of how plants respond to an ecologically relevant vibration.

"We found that feeding vibrations signal changes in the plant cells' metabolism, creating more defensive chemicals that can repel attacks from caterpillars."

It follows news Brits have absolutely no idea which fruit and veg is in season throughout the year.

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