What if your houseplants are doing so much more than just looking pretty on your windowsill? What if they’re actually communicating, sensing their environment, and responding in ways we’re only beginning to understand?
In this Best of Growing Joy replay, I sit down with Paco Calvo and Natalie Lawrence, co-authors of Planta Sapiens, to explore plant intelligence, plant behavior, and the big question: do plants have feelings and some form of plant consciousness?
We talk about how plants sense their surroundings, how they “decide” where to grow, and what our human-plant connection can teach us about slowing down and reconnecting with nature.
If you’ve ever wondered whether your plants notice you, or what’s really going on inside your favorite vining houseplants, this conversation will totally change how you see every plant in your home and garden!
In this episode, we learn:
[06:32] Who is Professor Paco Palvo?
[07:01] Why is MINT Lab in the philosophy department instead of the plant science department?
[09:28] Who is Natalie Lawrence?
[10:00] The relationship between animals and plants: biophilia
[13:34] What is anthropophilia?
[16:26] What role do houseplants play in our relationship with nature?
[18:04] How humans have shaped the phenotype, or characteristics, of plants through agriculture
[20:09] What special message would you engrave on your wind chime?
[22:40] The best way to sleep better and feel calmer naturally in no time!
[25:58] Different types of intelligence displayed by plants
[26:39] How do we see from a plant’s perspective?
[27:27] Tip 1: Observe the plants’ behavior through time-lapse photography
[27:45] Tip 2: Monitor the plants’ electrophysiological states
[28:14] Tip 3: Observe the plant holistically through naked eyes (the most important!)
[32:41] Melatonin synthesis in plants: what we can learn
[34:57] How vines (climbing plants) have evolved to locate host trees through senses like “sniffing”
[36:59] Where to get the best quality and variety of seeds for ease of planting experience this year!
[38:35] Sourcing a wide variety of high-quality soil, fertilizer, potty mix, and more!
[40:24] What are some of the ways vines (climbing plants) can find their host trees?
[42:04] Are plants smarter? (Hint: It’s not what you think!)
[44:07] What are the limits of technology when it comes to understanding plant intelligence?
[46:56] Do plants have feelings?
[50:24] Do plants understand music?
[53:35] What is plant blindness?
Mentioned in our conversation:
Planta Sapiens: The New Science of Plant Intelligence, book by Paco Calvo and Natalie Lawrence
MINT Lab / Minimal Intelligence Lab
How society makes monsters, TEDx talk by Natalie Lawrence
BBC Wildlife – Natalie Lawrence
BBC Woman's Hour “The unicorn – a symbol of our times?” with Natalie Lawrence
Natalie Lawrence on Aeon Magazine
Do you think your houseplants can actually sense what’s happening around them?
Check out the full show notes and blog for a deeper look at plant intelligence and consciousness!
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