If you’ve ever felt bad for forgetting to water your plants, brace yourself: they might be screaming at you. In 2019, researchers at Tel Aviv University discovered that plants emit ultrasonic “screams” when stressed, from dehydration to physical damage. The catch? These sounds are too high-pitched for human ears, so your ficus could be throwing a tantrum right now, and you’d never know.
The study, published in Cell, used specialized microphones to capture the noises made by tomato and tobacco plants. When deprived of water or cut, the plants emitted clicks at frequencies between 20 and 100 kilohertz—far beyond the human hearing range of 20 Hz to 20 kHz. To put that in perspective, if plants were musicians, they’d be playing in a register only bats and dolphins could appreciate.
The researchers believe these sounds are caused by a process called cavitation, where air bubbles form and burst in the plant’s vascular system. It’s like a botanical version of cracking your knuckles, but with more existential dread. The team even trained a machine-learning algorithm to distinguish between different types of stress, like “thirsty” versus “chopped.” Imagine a future where farmers use plant-scream detectors to optimize irrigation. “Sorry, boss, the corn’s yelling again—better turn on the sprinklers.”
But before you start apologizing to your succulents, know this: plants aren’t “screaming” in the way animals do. They lack brains, nervous systems, and vocal cords, so their noises are more like involuntary burps than cries for help. Still, the discovery raises fascinating questions about plant communication. Could they be warning nearby plants of danger? Or just venting their frustrations into the void? Either way, it’s a reminder that the natural world is far noisier than we thought.
The study also has practical implications. Farmers could use acoustic monitoring to detect crop stress early, potentially saving water and boosting yields. And for the rest of us, it’s a humbling reminder that plants aren’t just passive decor—they’re complex organisms with their own ways of coping with stress.
So, next time you’re tempted to ignore your houseplants, remember: they might be screaming at frequencies only your dog can hear. And if you ever feel guilty, just water them. Or play some soothing music—though, given their ultrasonic range, they might prefer something by Mariah Carey. After all, even plants deserve a little harmony.
