The belief that talking to people plants favors its growth and has been part of the popular imagination for years. Many people speak loving words to them or even play music with the expectation that they will grow stronger and healthier.
However, from the perspective of evolutionary biologydoes it make any sense that a ficus or a geranium Do they benefit from affectionate words? The scientific explanation is more complex: the possible effect of this practice does not occur in the plant, but in the person who performs it.
How plants perceive their environment
To understand how the plants with the environment it is necessary to consider its evolution and a fundamental characteristic: the plants They are sessile organisms, that is, they remain fixed in the same place throughout their lives. Unlike animals, they cannot escape dangers or move in search of better conditions.
As a result, over millions of years they developed complex detection mechanisms that allow them to respond to stimuli. Factors such as light intensity, soil humidity, wind strength or vibrations generated by pollinators and insects are perceived by highly specialized systems that help them adapt to their environment.
Plants perceive our interactionbut they do it in a strictly physical way. When a person approaches and speaks to them, they perceive the acoustic vibrations produced by the vocal cords, a phenomenon studied by phytoacoustics.
They also detect small air currents or direct contact if their leaves are caressed, a physiological response known as thigmomorphogenesis. In addition, when spoken to closely, they receive a greater localized concentration of carbon dioxide, an essential gas for photosynthesis.
The unexpected twist: profit is human
So if talking to plants doesn’t directly influence their growth, why do many people believe it works? The explanation could be in the care that usually accompany that habit.
Those who frequently interact with their plants also tend to observe them more closely, detect problems early, and better attend to their needs. In that sense, the benefit does not come from the words, but from the attention they receive.
In addition, humans also benefit from the interaction; Expressing thoughts out loud helps to organize ideas, process complex emotions and achieve what is known in psychology as catharsis: a deep and purifying release of repressed emotions, such as anger, fear or sadness.
This psychological “purge” transforms negative tensions into a comforting feeling of clarity, calm, and mental well-being.
By caring for a plant and paying attention to it regularly, processes associated with emotional well-being can be activated. This interaction is related to the release of substances such as oxytocin and dopamine, linked to pleasure and reward, as well as a decrease in levels of cortisol, the hormone associated with stress.
Therefore, the possible benefit of speaking to plants It would not be related to changes in their growth, but rather to the well-being that this routine can generate in people who incorporate it into their daily lives.
