Stressed plants ‘cry’ — and some animals can probably hear them

Microphones capture ultrasonic crackles from plants that are water-deprived or injured.

Emma Marris
1. Emma Marris is an environmental writer who lives in Oregon.
View author publications

You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Plants do not suffer in silence. Instead, when thirsty or stressed, plants make “airborne sounds”, according to a study published today in Cell¹.

Access options

Rent or buy this article

Get just this article for as long as you need it

$39.95

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Nature 616, 229 (2023)

doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-023-00890-9

Khait, I. et al. Cell https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cell.2023.03.009 (2023).
Article Google Scholar
Veits, M. et al. Ecol. Lett. 22, 1483–1492 (2019).
Article PubMed Google Scholar

Finding the Amazon’s tallest trees — an epic quest to reach hidden giants

News Feature 07 JUN 23

Cycles of satellite and transposon evolution in Arabidopsis centromeres

Article 17 MAY 23

A pan-grass transcriptome reveals patterns of cellular divergence in crops

Article 10 MAY 23

Subjects