Scientists Discover Plants’ Amazing Ability

It sounds incredible but some types of plants can… hear! Their hearing however is different from that of humans.

Scientists from the University of Western Australia came to this incredible conclusion. The scientists have found out that some types of nectariferous plants can hear. They need this function to produce sweeter nectar.

The experiment involved more than 600 Drummond’s oenothera plants whose nectar was carefully studied. The flowers were affected by sound: scientists reproduced different wingbeats of bees. It turns out that the nectar produced in silence contains 20% less sugar.

Flowers serve as plants’ ears: plants with no petals made equally sweet nectar regardless of the noise.

Experts believe that plants’ responsiveness to sound is a result of evolution aimed at increasing the distance of pollination. Attracting more bees increases the survival rate of a species in the constantly changing environment.