Plant Communication
Plants can talk to each other!
Well, maybe not exactly talk, but plants can certainly communicate! Plant life is able to use chemical compounds to signal among each other and to insects. This week, I will detail how plants communicate, in order to defend against insect intruders.
Eavesdropping neighbors
When an insect starts munching on a plant’s leaf, the plant becomes pretty upset — after all, it needs its leaves to produce food. In an attempt to stop this large inconvenience, the plant releases compounds called Volatile Organic Compounds, or VOCs for short.
VOCs are noxious chemicals aimed at shooing away insects. You can smell your own VOCs by crushing any plant leaf (though at Welltended, we do not condone crushing your houseplant leaves). The smell that is released are the plant’s VOCs. Some plants, like basil or lavender, have a distinct VOC smell, which we use in cooking and perfumes (called aromatics).
When released, VOCs can often make the insect move away to a different plant. While aimed at insects, these VOCs also act as a warning signal for neighboring plants. Nearby plants detect the VOCs in the air and start preparing for an insect attack by creating their own defensive compounds. Eavesdropping can also occur underground. Nearby plants with entangled roots are able to detect if a neighbor is under attack.
Calling for help
As the maxim goes: The enemy of my enemy is my friend. Plants developed the ability to send out an S.O.S. signal using specific VOCs to actually attract certain insects. These insects are enemies of the insects that are munching on the plant’s leaves, and they help protect the plant.
For example, say a caterpillar trundles up and starts munching on the plant’s leaf. The plant, upset by this hungry fellow, sends out a signal calling in caterpillar enemies, specifically wasps. If a wasp detects the signal, it would head to the plant to find the caterpillar, which will remove the leaf eater and solve the plant’s problem!
While I have detailed defensive chemical communication, plants also use chemicals to call in insects to pollinate them. Perfumes, cologne, scented candles, air fresheners, and essential oils are all derived from plants! Different plant chemical scents attract different pollinators who have evolved to prefer certain scents. I will share a detailed post later on about intricate dance between plants and their pollinators and the lengths plants go to attract the right pollinator.
Enjoy your Friday!
