Can plants think?

Author: Jo Marchant & Julian Mayers
Published: Mon 01 Sep 2025
Episode Link: https://shows.acast.com/where-the-wild-thoughts-are/episodes/can-plants-think

In this first episode of Where the Wild Thoughts Are, I chat to Paco Calvo, prof of cognitive science from the University of Murcia in Spain. He’s author of the fascinating Planta sapiens: Unmasking Plant Intelligence, and he researches the neurobiology of plants. From bean plants searching out supports to climb up, to parasitic vines chasing down prey, to slow-growing oak trees, Paco is convinced that not only are plants showing intelligent behaviour, they’re sentient, awake, aware.

Perhaps you’re convinced that of course plants aren’t thinking! But is that based on evidence? Could there be other routes to intelligence than the neurons we happen to find in our own brains?

Paco and I discuss how to tell if an organism is intelligent; some of plants’ most impressive abilities (my favourite is the chameleon vine); as well as the mechanics of botanical decision-making. And, of course, we talk about the ethical implications… What would it even mean to start considering our plant companions as sentient?

Paco’s lab at University of Murcia

https://www.um.es/mintlab/index.php/about/people/paco-calvo/

Paco’s book, Planta sapiens: The New Science of Plant Intelligence (written with Natalie Lawrence)

https://www.um.es/mintlab/index.php/publications/planta-sapiens/

‘Do plants behave?’: 2024 paper

https://osf.io/preprints/psyarxiv/kr69e_v1

‘Plant sentience revisited’: 2023 paper

https://www.wellbeingintlstudiesrepository.org/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1830&context=animsent

‘The potential of plant action potentials’: 2023 paper

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11229-023-04398-7

‘A case study of learning in plants: Lessons learned from pea plants’: 2023 paper

https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/17470218231203078