Plants have feelings too

Human beings have five senses – taste, touch, sight, hearing and smell. These senses help us navigate the world and act as warning signs of dangers. We use them to make everyday decisions; for example, when it starts raining we pull out our umbrellas, and when it’s hot we take off our jackets.

Plants react to the environment around them.

Although they may seem passive, plants have their own complex sensory systems too, designed to respond to dangers or other changes in their environment.

Dr Kim Johnson.

Plants may not have eyes, ears or a tongue, but their skin can perform many of the same functions. Plants are not only aware of when it rains or when it’s windy, but they can respond accordingly.

Dr Kim Johnson, a research fellow in the School of BioSciences, University of Melbourne, studies the world of plant senses.

Read the Pursuit article by Dr Kim Johnson from the School of BioSciences at the University of Melbourne’s Faculty of Science  -  “Plants have feelings too.”