Cornell Scientists Uncover Form of Intelligence in Goldenrod Plants

New research shows that goldenrod plants demonstrate a form of intelligence by adapting their responses to herbivores based on the presence of neighboring plants and environmental cues, challenging traditional definitions of intelligence.

Goldenrod can perceive other plants nearby without ever touching them, by sensing far-red light ratios reflected off leaves. When goldenrod is eaten by herbivores, it adapts its response based on whether or not another plant is nearby. Is this kind of flexible, real-time, adaptive response a sign of intelligence in plants?

The question is not easy to answer, but Andre Kessler, a chemical ecologist, makes an argument for plant intelligence in a recent paper in the journal Plant Signaling and Behavior.