Current reading, after finishing two Inspector Gamache mysteries by Louise Penny, is Planta Sapiens, by Paco Calvo.
Plants learn from experience: wild strawberries can be taught to link light intensity with nutrient levels in the soil, and flowers can time pollen production to pollinator visits. Plants have social intelligence, releasing chemicals from their roots and leaves to speak to and identify one another. They make decisions about where to invest their growth, judging risk based on the resources available. Their individual preferences vary, too—plants have personalities.
Planta Sapiens | Paco Calvo, Natalie Lawrence | W. W. Norton & Company
and
…he demonstrates that plants are not objects: they have their own agency. If we recognize plants as actors alongside us in the climate crisis—rather than seeing them simply as resources for carbon capture and food production—plants may just be able to help us tackle our most urgent problems.
Read a review of the book in the Guardian.
The book covers some familiar territory, after reading The Ways of Being, and I am looking forward to the experience.
Combine with looking at the website Crime Pays But Botany Doesn’t!!
My best friend at NASA, Volker Kern, is a botanist and had a Space Shuttle experiment on moss. The moss does all kinds of smart things in very low gravity. It can even grow upside down for its own benefit. I also worked for Terry Lomax, famous for her Space Shuttle experiments with tomatoes, which are extremely intelligent.
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/long-before-trees-overtook-the-land-earth-was-covered-by-giant-mushrooms-13709647/
Tks …I have ordered the book.
After a long/cold winter, rather amazing to watch ….trees, shrubs, flowers, ferns, hosta’s come back to life.
Have lots of plant material in yard . Plants have different needs re soil conditions and light. Some plants can be fussy – puzzles me and surprises me Looking forward to reading this book. Thank-you.
thought you may like this story…
A beautiful red cardinal came for a visit today
(very lucky, get lots of birds- due to surrounding trees).
. ..as soon as a bird lands …hope bird comes close. …this time he did- such a beautiful red bird.
(Birds feathers re colors , patterns – blows my mind)
It was especially beautiful today cause he showed off,
First, he landed in my lovely red Japanese maple tree opening up. Just stunning. Then he came unusually close to my window , moving from one object to another – gave me a great show.
Before he left, gave me a final performance in my white blossom tree –in full bloom.
(This tree is outlined with an even bigger tree in neighbors yard – Frames mine – perfectly,. from my view)
Spectacular.