Global breakthrough: Plants emit sounds!

It has been known for some time that plants communicate with one another, but Israeli scientists now say they’ve identified “words,” and have found that different species speak in different “languages,” according to a groundbreaking new study published Thursday in the prestigious scientific journal Cell.

According to researchers from Tel Aviv University, the new study is the first time that airborne sounds from stressed plants have been recorded at a distance and classified.

It turns out that plants “talk” in clicks, which sound a bit like popcorn popping. The sounds are emitted at a volume similar to human speech, but at high frequencies, beyond the hearing range of humans.

One recent study showed that plants can respond to sound by, for instance, increasing the sugar concentration in their nectar to lure pollinators that are making a ruckus nearby.