Plants store information and pass it from one generation to the next through the DNA in their germ cells. They can remember winter cold to delay blooming until spring, and they can sense, process, respond to, and transmit this information to offspring to better adapt to changing climates. They also possess the ability to forget some memories.
A recent international study has illuminated how certain plant species build complex molecular networks that enable them to remember, make choices, and even decide in response to stressful stimuli, despite lacking a nervous system.
Plants that depend on their surroundings constantly face shifts in temperature, light, nutrients, water, and pathogen exposure. These pressures prompt plants to fine tune their molecular networks so they can optimize resource use and improve resilience under multiple environmental challenges.
Researchers note that this capacity to pass lived experiences to the next generation comes through epigenetic changes layered on top of classical genetic inheritance.
Although plants do not have cognitive organs, studies show they can learn, communicate, memorize, and refine decision making in response to specific stimuli.
a) Plants can adjust behavior when faced with difficult conditions such as climate change. They respond to stress from drought, heat, cold, high salinity, or pathogen attack.
They also adapt to an ever changing environment to maintain physical condition. This learning relies on precise memory mechanisms that guide growth and strategy.
Evidence of lasting memories
Unlike animals that rely on nervous systems for thinking, plant memory rests on cellular, molecular, and biochemical networks. Scientists describe memory as information stored, retrieved, remembered, and, when needed, erased.
Plants possess a somatic memory that can persist through an individual life via cell division, and there is growing evidence that memories can extend to subsequent generations. This view comes from research published in Trends in Plant Science by a team of international researchers.
Plants detect and respond to light quality, intensity, and timing with specialized photoreceptors and signaling components. Some receptors also act as thermosensors, enabling plants to respond to extreme cold and heat conditions.
Researchers confirm that plants can distinguish between brief cold spells and longer, sustained cold periods, and that such sensing helps them remember winter has ended and begin flowering.
Memory also enhances responses to the second attack of a pathogen, increasing chances of survival. Transmitting this knowledge to offspring helps prepare future generations for potential stress and supports long term adaptation to climate change. Authors from France, Malta, Greece, Hungary, England, and Italy contributed to this field of study.
Forgetful ability
The concept of plant intelligence appears to rely on chromatin and, in particular, histone proteins that generate and transmit responses to external factors. Forgetting is described as a selective erasure process that enables plants to reset relevant information while discarding what is no longer useful for survival.
Forgetting is essential for survival. It also takes place in seeds, and pollen can spread across long distances in environments that differ greatly from the parent plant.
Because memory is partly passed to offspring, the paternal memory is often reduced while the maternal memory is more likely to persist, helping offspring cope with harsh conditions such as global warming. Inherited memories include crucial data for facing stress and guiding long term development.
Researchers note that the molecular mechanisms behind plant intelligence are not fully understood and that ongoing research is essential for a clearer picture. A recent study aligns with another project focused on trees learning to endure adverse conditions and passing this wisdom to their descendants. This work suggests memory helps trees remember events like heat waves and droughts and respond with increasing effectiveness to minimize damage. The findings appear in The Plant Journal and Environmental and Experimental Botany.
For further context, the Trends in Plant Science article provides a comprehensive overview of the field, with additional perspectives from related research published around the same period. A recent study in a separate journal examined how trees adapt by learning from stress and sharing that knowledge with offspring.
In sum, plant memory is a dynamic field where cellular and epigenetic mechanisms play chief roles in how plants anticipate and cope with changing environments. This growing body of work underscores the remarkable capacity of plants to survive and thrive under climate pressure.
End of article, with references to ongoing research and multiple international contributors, highlighting the collaborative effort to understand plant memory and adaptation. This content is informed by recent studies and reviews in the field of plant science.