My plants tug at me when they need attention. I joke that I can hear them screaming when they are thirsty, but now I think it might be true. Like elephants that make sounds humans below the range of human hearing, plants have a vibrational language of their own. Sound artists have blended science and technology to translate this language and give us new ways to hear secret plant sounds.

Plant Wave

You’ve probably heard that plants respond to different types of music, but the new PlantWave app converts your plant into a musician. PlantWave is a device that turns a plants’ biorhythms into music you can hear. The small piece of equipment comes with sensors that look like little ear plugs with patches. You can stick these on leaves of any houseplant and pick up the plant’s electrical variations. The device connects to a phone app, then translates these variations into music. Some sounds are deep and moody, others are quick and light. It’s like a karaoke machine for your plant. 

Tomu Tomu

PlantWave isn’t the first attempt to translate plant sounds. In 2015 sound artist Tomu Tomu created a –turned micro-voltage fluctuations from a plant into audible sounds for the human ear. Take a listen, the result is magical. Slow, hypnotic tones sound like a singing meditation bowl and lull you into a peaceful trance. Once you hear them, you will never see your plant the same way again. The secret plant sounds open up a new window of perception about plants. 

Sonic Succulents

What would it sound like if plants react to us? How do they react to the conditions we provide them?  How do they react to harm?  Artist, Adrienne Adar, set out to answer these questions in her exhibit, “Sonic Succulents, Plant Sounds and Vibrations,” at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden.  She gave visitors giant headphones connected to potted plants so they could hear each plant’s reaction to being touched. The result was powerful. The slightest touch created dramatic swishing, rubbing and scratching noises — like quiet groans and screams. This must be what I hear when my plants are thirsty. 

Talk To Your Plants, But Listen Too

Plant sounds might seem gimmicky, but hearing the sounds of our plants creates an irreversible shift in how we perceive them. When we hear their language we instantly understand they are sentient beings  – not just objects. Instead of rushing past them, or treating them as home decor, we are invited to slow down and observe them more consciously. The human perspective is limited, and secret plant sounds give us a way to connect with our houseplants on multiple levels.  Tuning in to them can bring us a lot of peace.