Watch what you say around your houseplants — they can probably hear you, and they might even be talking about you. The idea that plants communicate with each other is normally based in science-fiction or fantasy, but new research out of The University of Western Australia reveals that this actually may be the case.

UWA Postdoctoral Research Fellow Dr. Monica Gagliano has discovered that our green friends not only react to sounds, but they can also communicate with each other via “clicking noises.”

The team’s research, published in the leading international journal Trends in Plant Science, concludes that the discovery of plant communication needs serious investigation as it “leaves serious gaps (in) our current understanding of the sensory and communicatory complexity of these organisms.” Gagliano also added that ”it is very likely that some form of sensitivity to sound and vibrations also plays an important role in the life of plants.”

So if you notice your houseplants leaning towards you, it could be because they enjoy the sound of your dulcet tones.

Plants Can ‘Talk’ To Each Other by Clicking Their Roots

may be the case.

The study found plants from the same species of beach-dwelling wildflower grew aggressively alongside unrelated neighbors but were less competitive when they shared soil with their siblings.

Sea rocket, a North American species, showed more vigorous root growth when planted in pots with strangers than when raised with relatives from the same maternal family, the study found.

This is an example of kin selection, a behavior common in animals in which closely related individuals take a group approach to succeeding in their environment, the researchers said.

Less Competition

Kin selection also applies to competition, the scientists added, because if family members compete less with each other, the group will do better overall.

"Everywhere you look, plants are growing right up next to other plants," Dudley said.

Usually it's a case of each plant for itself, she said.