Are "house" plants conscious?

Question

This may seem weird but when I am home my plants seem to be healthier. Why is this? Could this be something beyond the mere watering and pruning of them? I have heard that there are studies out there that show plants grow more quickly when played certain types of music and or are given conscious attention.

Answer 1

Oh God, I hope they're not conscious. If they are, I'm a mass murderer and a serial killer. I have a horrible gift for killing plants, no matter how hard I try not to.

Answer 2

I watched an informative show based solely on the responses of plants and atmostphere, sound, environment, AND communication. The study which was formed over a couple of years period found the following:

Plants interact with sound VIBRATIONS. The calmer the vibration, the better the plants reacted. Hence the music theory ...when harsh metal was played, the plants died, yet when soft music was played the plants survived. All the elements around them were the same except the music playing.

Scientists have also found that between trees there is noticable sound waves travelling back and forth, which has led them to believe somehow they communicate through vibration.

Plants are living beings ,but having a concious is yet unproven...yet somehow in their own way they seem to thrive , communicate AND obviously have feelings and or responses to outside influences. Even though we do not yet understand how much we can consider plants "living" in the sense of comparison to the human race and being concious ..they are definately living beings, and all living beings react better to a loving environment. I have also noticed my plants thrive when I talk to them, or even some touch the leaves as I walk by , whereas some just like the talking, and not the touching. If you try it for a month, then stop, you will find each plant is different, and they react differently. Then treat them accordingly. Make sure to write down in a book which plants may lose leaves if touched, and which do not. This helps considerably. Also, pay attention to the care of each individual plant as it varies as much as each plant too. Maybe some look worse for wear because they should need that extra water you cant give them when you are away. Find a way to give it to them when you leave, perhaps a better container that will hold water a bit longer before drying out. Just remember when you are home..that the change in the planter will also change how you water them when you are home, and they may not need as much. Just in case, if you are away for a while, make sure the plants are not in direct scortching sun drenched windows where they can dry out fast and wither up. Hope this all helps . Good luck with your green friends =)

Answer 3

Totally. Years ago, and this is documented in a book called "The Secret Life of Plants", biologists did a test by putting 2 plants on the table in the lab. Then they had a guy come into the lab, go over to one of the plants, and he ripped that plant to shreds.
Then he left the room.
The scientists then hooked a lie detector machine up to the remaining plant. They then had the guy who tore the other plant to shreds come into the room. As soon as he entered the room, the lie detector machine went crazy. The needles were registering off the charts. No lie.
So, yes, I definitely believe plants have a concious. I have also personally noticed that the plants that I have which sit on top of the stereo speakers are much larger in leaf size, and size overall than the plants that aren't on the speakers, but are in the same room. I truly believe that they enjoy either the music itself, of the vibration which comes from the speakers.

Answer 4

Plants clean the air by removing carbon dioxide,it also helps them grow and in turn the plants give us better air to breath. The answer is No, plants have no consciousness just a purpose and that is to grow. When we are in the room with them they get more of the carbon dioxide we exhale. It is true plant maintenance can only be done when we are home so naturally they get better. People that say they talk to their plants and growth and health improve are half right. It is not what you are saying that matters but the close proximity you are to them, giving them more of that carbon dioxide. They have programing in their cells that triggers the growth as apposed to a brain or thought process
hope that helps~

Answer 5

Not weird they are very much ALIVE, In fact my grandmother once here on this earth(may she RIP) she would talk to her Plants, and kept them watered, proper plant food, AND THEY GREW tremendously, once she became ILL/Died PLANTS DID AS WELL, I am not a Green Thumb but I have about five(5) plants and I do the same with a Little help with Miracle Grow and they just GROW TO NO END, It also EXTENDS some sort of Piece within me, I tend to be more Relax when I am around my Plants. Take Care

Answer 6

There was a test a long time ago. Several plants were placed in a room and hooked up to some sort of machine that showed impulses.

A student came in the room and harmed one of the plants. Then left.

Other people came in the room, all the plants showed nothing.

Then the student came back into the room.
The harmed plant registered fear on the machine. None of the other plants showed any change.

I read this a long long time ago, but I have never forgotten it. It was a big long article, but I have given you the gist of it.

Answer 7

They're living creatures are they not?

I have several ivy at home. I love ivy. They are the most "open" of all plants - they will literally act alive at times. They don't go after the sun like most plants do, they will search and find things - I'll come home and the passion flower next to my desk will have grabbed and dropped a pen into the pot. She does that a lot - no matter how many times, it will try to crawl over my desk and in the process she "accidentally" tries to use the pen as something to hold on to, but it'll just roll into her pot.

Yeah, it takes her hours to move, but she does - and she does it sporadically like she's searching for something, not necessarily like she's looking for the sun like "unconcious" plans are supposed to.

Look up the "Gaia Hypothesis" - it's a hypothesis about how the *entire earth* is a living concious creature. We just happen to be something that lives inside of it. Good stuff.

Answer 8

I am a scientific person, but that said, I think a basic error is committed whenever any living being is considered by the exact same rules as an inanimate object.
I believe that plants can sense the presence of other living beings, which would be pro-survival. They may well sense whether those beings are beneficent, or have bad intent.

Answer 9

I don't know about "conscious", because that has so many definitions. But I have definitely noticed a difference in the growth and appearance of my plants when I pay attention to them and when I don't. I don't think any study has proven anything positively, but that may be that we simply have not stumbled upon an appropriate way to measure whatever it is.

Answer 10

I had a lot of plants an when I use to talk and sing to them they would grow really pretty but one I became ill and had to stay in the hospital for 5 days and when I return home some had died, some was weak. So I started nursing the sick ones back health.

Answer 11

More than most people...As to your question, Mythbusters did a show on just what you are describing. They played all types of music in a controlled enviorment. To make a long story short, the plants that were being played loud rock music did the best. There must be something to plants being stimulated via sound...