Want your garden to flourish? Study finds talking to plants could help

It’s not uncommon for gardeners to talk to their plants, but while it may sound a little silly, a new study suggests green-fingered enthusiasts may be on to something.

Scientists at Tel Aviv University in Israel have found that some flowers can in fact hear. The study, which has not been peer reviewed, was published in bioRxiv. It found that flowers can act as a plant’s ‘ears’ to help them detect the sound of approaching insects and could help them bloom into healthier, happier plants.

When researchers played recordings of bees buzzing to evening primrose flowers, the plants boosted the sugar content of their nectar, potentially increasing the chances of cross pollination. Researchers suggest that the sound of a bee makes tiny vibrations in flower petals that trigger the sugar response.

But when played at a higher frequency, like those made by a mosquito, the flowers did not change their nectar.

The study is the first evidence that suggests plants can respond to sounds in “an ecologically relevant way”. It hints that plants may also be affected by other sounds as well, including animals, other plants and possibly humans.

This is good news for many gardeners who are guilty of whispering sweet nothings to their plants. Even Prince Charles has admitted to chatting to his plants when pottering around his impressive Highgrove House garden. 

In a candid interview for a BBC documentary in 2010, the 70-year-old royal reportedly said: “I happily talk to the plants and the trees, and listen to them. I think it’s absolutely crucial.

“Everything I’ve done here, it’s almost like your children. Every tree has a meaning for me.”

This isn’t the first time scientists have looked into the hearing ability of plants. The theory that plants can actually benefit from humans talking to them was first published in the book Nanna written by German professor Gustav Fechner in 1848. 

The Royal Horticultural Society later published a paper that supports Fechner’s idea. According to The Telegraph, the 2009 study found that talking to your plants has a beneficial impact on their overall health and growth. 

Researchers also found that plants grow faster to the sound of a female voice than to the sound of a male voice. In an experiment run over a month, they found that tomato plants grew up to 2 inches (5 centimetres) taller to the sound of a female voice.

Do you think it works? Do you talk to your flowers and plants at home?