Talking tree

    We know for sure that trees talk through the air like we do, we have to wonder what they say about us as we press into their territories and begin to deforest the land, starting at one edge of the woods and working our way through to the other. Do the trees cut first shout to the others on the opposite end to run? Or are they whispering to us, asking that we be more mindful of the consequences?

We’ve known for a long time that plants are sensitive to their environments, reacting to changes in temperature, soil conditions, and light. Their senses, like ours, are quite developed: The Venus flytrap catches its dinner by snapping shut when an insect touches the tiny hairs on its leaves, and some farmers believe that sounds louder than the human voice stimulate the germination and rapid growth of some vegetables. But the confirmation that plants of the same species are able to talk with each other through the air is a new development.

In one recent research project, scientists took note of when the first gypsy moth larvae landed on a mature oak tree that resided in a grove with other oaks. By analyzing the chemistry of the mature oak tree’s leaves, they were able to determine that within a very short period of time, the tree had added a bitter tannin to all of its leaves. The tannin made the tree an unattractive lunch option for the gypsy moth larvae. But what was more astounding was that all the other oak trees in the grove changed the chemistry of their leaves, too, making them unappetizing as well.

It took a few years for the scientists to understand just how the trees in the rest of grove had gotten word that the gypsy moths were in town. It was found that the trees did not communicate through their roots — instead, they released a special gas (or pheromone) to warn their neighbors of the danger.

If we’ve ever walked in a forest or a grove on a breezy or windy day, we’ve probably experienced that bit of an unsettling feeling that says to you that the trees are “talking” above our head. With every moan and retort of the wood, we’d almost swear that we could hear rumblings. 

The trees surrounding we on our walk seem to be whispering to each other about the propriety of our presence.Turns out that our intuition may not be so far from the truth. Scientists are now discovering that plants have similar senses to ours and that they “talk” to each other — not through their roots, but as we do: through the air.It’s not only the oak trees that are chatting. We now have proof that willows, too, are talking with each other through the air. Quercus phellos (willow oak) is a deciduous tree in the red oak group of oaks. It is native to eastern North America from southern New York (Long Island) south to northern Florida, and west to southernmost Illinois and eastern Texas. It is most commonly found growing on lowland floodplains. It is a medium-sized tree growing to 20-30 m tall.