What a Plant Knows

How does a Venus flytrap know when to snap shut? Can it feel an insect’s spindly legs? How do roses know when it’s spring? Do they actually remember the weather?

Now, in What a Plant Knows, renowned biologist Daniel Chamovitz presents a beguiling exploration of how plants experience our shared Earth – in terms of sight, smell, taste, touch, hearing, memory, and even awareness. Combining cutting-edge research with lively storytelling, Chamovitz explains how a willow tree knows when its neighbours have been commandeered by an army of ravenous beetles to why an avocado ripens when you give it the company of a banana in a bag (it’s the pheromones). And he settles the debate, once and for all, over whether your beloved basil cares if you play Led Zeppelin or Bach.

Whether you are a green thumb, a science buff, a vegetarian, or a nature rambler, this rare, inside look at the life of plants will delight.