A groundbreaking study has found that plants emit ultrasonic sounds – like “tiny popping noises” – when they are under stress, such as when they are dehydrated or cut. These tiny “calls”, which are inaudible to the human ear, can be picked up by special microphones from more than a metre away.
What's even more surprising? The sounds vary according to the type of stress, and artificial intelligence algorithms can accurately classify them.
The dehydrated plants were the most "vocal" – practically, they were "screaming" for help.
This discovery could change the way we understand plant communication – and suggest that perhaps insects and animals are already listening.
