Indeed, we tend not to pay much attention to the immensely sophisticated sensory machines in the flowers and trees that can be found right in our own back gardens. While most animals can choose their environments, seek shelter in a storm, search for food and a mate, or migrate with the changing seasons, plants must be able to withstand and adapt to constantly changing weather, encroaching neighbors, and invading pests, without being able to move to a better environment. Because of this, plants have developed complex sensory and regulatory systems that allow them to modulate their growth in response to ever-changing conditions. An elm tree has to know if its … Continue reading Daniel Chamovitz