Plants have long been thought of as silent beings, simply existing and growing without making any noise. But a recent study published in the journal Cell has found that plants can actually produce “airborne sounds” when they are stressed or in need of water. These sounds are too high-pitched for most humans to hear, but some animals might be able to pick them up.Research showing water-stressed or injured plants emitting high-pitched sounds could have implications for horticultural monitoring.credit: Lilach Hadany

The study, conducted by Lilach Hadany and her colleagues at Tel-Aviv University in Israel, involved placing tobacco and tomato plants in boxes with microphones. The team found that plants that were water-deprived or had recently been cut produced up to 35 sounds per hour, while well-hydrated and uncut plants made only about one sound per hour. These sounds were ultrasonic, between 20 and 100 kilohertz, making them inaudible to most humans.