Found out some plants can 'hear' caterpillars chewing and it blew my mind

I was reading a study from the University of Missouri about how some plants, like thale cress, can sense the specific vibrations of a caterpillar eating their leaves. They then make more mustard oils to try and keep the bugs away. I mean, I knew plants reacted to stuff, but the idea they can basically 'hear' an attack is wild. Has anyone else come across other facts about plant senses that seem almost sci-fi?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_drew1d agoMost Upvoted

It's wild how much we miss by assuming things around us are just passive.

the_thea1d ago

Yeah, that's a solid point from @the_drew. Makes you wonder what we're actually ignoring every day. Like, do we ever stop to think about what a tree is actually doing, or do we just see it as a green thing that's there? Kind of a trip when you really sit with it. Feels like we're trained to see the world as a bunch of background props.