Do plants have intelligence?

[Linda and "Toby"]

Do you talk to your houseplants? Do you think your plants talk to each other? Do you think they have feelings and can communicate with each other? I'd love to know your thoughts....

[Linda and "Toby"]

There is a variety of cactus called "Cholla Cactus" (also referred to as Jumping or Chainfruit Cholla) that "throws" the spines at you if you get too close. You don't even have to touch it! Totally bizarre.  

I once read a study conducted in a forest in which a group of trees were wired with high frequency audio detectors to see what would happen when they took an ax and chopped one tree down. As predicted, nearby trees emitted a high frequency signal, akin to a scream. Like a wave of panic, trees that were closest screamed the loudest; those that were further away emitted a less intense signal.

So... does that mean vegetables scream when we pluck them out of the garden? I shudder to think....

[F, Calla & Luca]

I used to talk to my plants more befote I had dogs.

[Camilla and Darwin]

I wouldn't rule it out, but I'd have to see A LOT of good evidence to believe it. :-) I don't talk to my houseplants because I don't have any. I used to have a small plant but I killed and had to replace it monthly. I just stopped altogether. Sigh.

[F, Calla & Luca]

Here you go Camilla.

[Linda and "Toby"]

WOW! What kind of a plant is THAT?

[F, Calla & Luca]

Celosia cristata or cockscomb.

[Camilla and Darwin]

Looks like a brain!

[Linda and "Toby"]

It does! Love the color!

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Jean Kerr once wrote a very funny piece on this subject. And of course, there was the Barbra Streisand movie "On a Clear Day You can See Forever" that also dealt with it.

I used to have dozens of houseplants and they thrived, although I did not talk to them. My theory is that when you "talk" to plants, you're giving them a an extra dose of carbon dioxide, which is what we breathe out, and what plants require the way we require oxygen. It's a symbiotic relationship, they give us oxygen and we give them CO2. Anyway, if anyone's plants do better when they talk to them, that's my theory as to why.

 

[F, Calla & Luca]

I like the theory.

[Linda and "Toby"]

I discovered something very interesting a couple years ago. If one of my houseplants is looking sick or weak (losing its leaves and generally keeling over), if I place it right next to a strong, healthy plant whose leaves extend out over the top of it, (like a big supportive hug) and it will come back! I even had one that was down to just ONE little leaf and I couldn't bare to toss it out. Oh my gosh, it came back beautifully and full of strong, healthy leaves! And it seems to work with all varieties of houseplants, too.

I refer to this as my (plant) buddy-system. Coincidence? I don't know... Maybe the stronger plant is able to give it supportive, rejuvenating energy somehow. I like to think so, anyway.