This falls under the category of communication between plants. Yes, plants. And I'm not speaking about talking to your house plants to make them grow more.
According to Smithsonian magazine, pale touch-me-not, Impatiens pallida, can tell with its roots whether a neighboring plant is its sibling.
"In the light: With unrelated neighbors, I. pallida grows short, leafy stalks. With sibling neighbors, it grows taller stalks with fewer leaves, thus sharing the sunlight, says a study from McMaster University in Ontario."
So, pale touch-me-not, and probably other plants, know if they are growing next to a close relative.
- Photo taken along Baskins Creek in Gatlinburg.
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- Photo taken along Baskins Creek in Gatlinburg.
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