Do Plants Communicate? What Science Actually Shows
"Plants talk to each other." The phrase has become popular, sometimes even taken for granted. The scientific reality is more precise—and, in my view, even more interesting.
Plants constantly release numerous molecules into their environment. Some are released in greater quantities when they are injured, attacked by a herbivore, or subjected to stress. Other plants can perceive some of these molecules and modify their own physiology accordingly.
Volatile compounds: information that travels through the air
Volatile organic compounds, or VOCs, are molecules capable of diffusing into the air. When a plant is attacked by an insect, its composition of volatile molecules can change. Neighboring plants exposed to this composition can then activate or prepare certain defenses even before being directly attacked.
These molecules don't just affect neighboring plants. They can also influence insects, attract predators or parasitoids of herbivores, and participate in interactions with microorganisms. We are therefore dealing with an ecological network, not a two-way conversation.
A 2026 study changes the game
Until now, "green leaf volatiles," or volatile compounds from green leaves, were often presented as major players in this communication. They are released very quickly after an injury and notably give off that characteristic smell of freshly cut grass.
In June 2026, a team published in Frontiers in Plant Science used real-time imaging on Arabidopsis to test this scenario. The researchers showed that neighboring plants could activate defense responses even when the emitting plants were not producing these classic green compounds. In the recipient plants, an increase in intracellular calcium preceded the activation of a defense marker gene. Other molecules, including acetophenone and certain alkanes, were detected in the experimental setup.
In other words: the chemical language of plants appears to be even more diverse than expected.
But can we really talk about "communication"?
Yes, provided we clarify what we mean by that. In biology, information can be transmitted and elicit a response without any conscious intention to send it. Researchers sometimes distinguish between a signal, which has evolved to influence a receiver, and a cue, which another organism uses without the sender having produced it specifically for them.
This is important because saying that plants communicate does not mean that they "talk" in the human sense. It means that they live in a world saturated with chemical information that they can emit, detect, and use.
A forest full of invisible relationships
In a forest, these aerial exchanges combine with underground interactions. Mycorrhizal networks connect roots and fungi, while phytoncides and other volatile molecules circulate in the air. None of these mechanisms transforms the forest into a giant brain. Together, however, they demonstrate just how relational plant life is.
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