Can plants learn?

You learn new ideas and skills every day. You may learn about the alphabet, counting numbers, or new words. Animals can learn, too. You may have helped teach a pet to sit. We know animals can learn. Can plants learn? Yes!

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When the leaves of the “touch-me-not” plant are touched, they fold in. This helps keep the leaves from getting hurt.

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Scientists let drops of water fall on the leaves. At first, the leaves folded in. Then, more water drops hit the leaves. The plant learned not to fold up its leaves. The water drops did not hurt the leaves. Even after two weeks, the plants remembered. The leaves did not fold when water drops hit them.

What Do You Think? How does learning something new help a living thing?

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