Do Plants Have Feelings? The Truth About Plant Sentience

Jonny Balchandani
Oct 1, 2025
2 min read

Retro cartoon of a confused man asking a Monstera if it feels, with a hippie God on a rainbow cloud replying, “They do, just not like you, my child,” while angels smoke and comment, “What’s he like.” Flat retro design by The Bearded Plantaholic.

Ever shouted at a houseplant for not growing? Don’t lie — we’ve all done it. You stand there, watering can in one hand, disappointment in the other, whispering: “Why are you like this?” And then the question hits — did it actually hear me? Did I just hurt its… feelings?

Welcome to the rabbit hole of plant sentience. Let’s clear the leaves off the truth.

Plant Sentience - Can plants feel pain?

Short answer: no, not like us.

Vintage-style cartoon of a bearded man interrogating a plant under a spotlight, yelling, “Go on… I know you feel it!” as sap drips from the leaves, while a cactus smokes and mutters, “This is gonna take a while…” Illustration by The Bearded Plantaholic.

Plants don’t have brains, nerves, or emotions. There’s no little chlorophyll-powered therapist inside your Monstera scribbling notes about its trauma. But — and this is a big but — they do respond to stress in ways that look suspiciously like feelings.

For example:

When attacked, plants release chemical signals to warn their neighbours.
Some can actually change their growth patterns when touched or shaken.
Certain species respond to sound frequencies (yes, there are literally experiments of plants reacting to music).

So while your fern won’t cry itself to sleep after you prune it, it’s definitely not oblivious to what’s happening around it.

Do plants have emotions?

Again — not in the human sense. They’re not falling in love, plotting revenge, or sulking because you bought a new plant and ignored them for a week (although it feels like that sometimes).

Comic-strip retro illustration of a man dragging a houseplant through extreme sports: speeding in a car, bungee jumping, parachuting, and jet skiing, insisting the plant is showing emotions with quotes like, “That was a smirk, I saw it!” Designed by The Bearded Plantaholic.

What they do have is a remarkable ability to sense and adapt. Think of it less as emotion and more as survival coding.

Light too low? They’ll stretch desperately.

Water too scarce? Leaves droop in protest.

Humidity gone? Brown tips like a passive-aggressive note.

Call it what you want — I call it “plant language.”

Why does this matter for plant parents?

Because whether or not plants “feel,” they react. And those reactions are your biggest clues as a plant parent.

Yellowing? It’s not sadness — it’s stress.
Drooping? It’s not depression — it’s dehydration.
Brown spots? It’s not spite — it’s a fungal issue or bad watering habits.

Retro-style poster of hippie God walking arm-in-arm with a bearded man down a leafy path, smoking together under a rainbow, saying, “Whether or not plants feel, they react. And those reactions are your biggest clues.” Illustration by The Bearded Plantaholic.

The magic is in learning to read these signals. Once you do, you’re not just keeping plants alive — you’re levelling up into full-blown jungle whisperer status.

The poetic truth

Here’s the bit that gets me: science can argue all day about whether plants feel or not, but if you’ve ever grown something from a tiny cutting into a thriving jungle beast, you know the connection is real.

When you nurture life, you can’t help but feel it nurtures you back.

Vibrant retro cartoon of hippie God giving a TEDx-style talk on stage in a jungle theatre, with plant lovers in the audience and the keynote reading, “When you nurture life, you can’t help but feel it nurtures you back.” Designed by The Bearded Plantaholic.

Want to go deeper?

If this has you questioning whether your Philodendron is secretly side-eyeing you, I’ve got you.

Colourful flat retro fun design showcasing You’re Overwatering It — the debut book by The Bearded Plantaholic. Playful, bold, and plant-themed illustration with a banner reading: “Pre-order now.”

Pre-order my debut book You’re Overwatering It — it’s packed with the humour, science, and jungle wisdom you need to level up from casual plant parent to full-on houseplant boss.