Plants make sounds similar to bubble wrap popping, study says

(CNN) – Plants may seem like they’re completely silent, but according to a new study, they’re not.

Researchers found that plants actually make popping noises. They also make more sounds when they’re thirsty or under certain kinds of stress.

A professor at Tel Aviv University and her team made the discovery.

In the study, they placed tobacco and tomato plants in sound-proof acoustic boxes with ultrasound microphones and recorded them.

When translated into a frequency humans can hear, the noises were similar to the “pop” of popcorn or bubble wrap.

The researchers said they don’t know exactly how the sounds are made, but they are undetectable to the human ear.

The experts suspect the noises come from cavitation when an air bubble in the plant’s water column collapses under pressure and makes a click or pop sound.

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