Do trees really talk to each other? Not in words, and not necessarily with intent. Plants can detect chemical cues from other plants and respond to signals or material moving through soil and fungal partnerships. Those exchanges are real areas of study, but whether they routinely help neighboring trees—or amount to cooperation—is still disputed.
What “talking” means in plant science
Here, “talking” is shorthand for one organism releasing a cue that another can detect and respond to. It does not imply language, awareness, or a deliberate warning. Nor does a response that benefits a receiver prove that the sender acted altruistically or that both plants gained overall.
A 2022 review by Muhammad Usman Rasheed, Agnès Brosset, and James D. Blande puts the distinction plainly: “However, whether plant communication represents altruism, mutualism, or a competitive or even pernicious interaction remains open for debate.” The same exchange could have different consequences depending on the species and conditions.
How plants exchange cues and signals
Airborne chemical cues
Plants release blends of biogenic volatile organic compounds (BVOCs). Their composition can carry information about a plant’s physiological condition. In some studied settings, neighboring plants exposed to cues from damaged plants show defensive responses. That is a chemical cue followed by a biological response—not a spoken message or proof that the damaged plant intentionally warned its neighbors.
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The 2022 review estimates global plant BVOC emissions at about 1 petagram of carbon per year. That is a review-reported estimate of emissions worldwide, not a forest-only figure and not a measure of how effective plant signaling is.
Roots, soil, and fungal partnerships
Belowground interactions can involve roots, changes in soil chemistry, and mycorrhizal fungi. Mycorrhizal fungi partner with plant roots; some fungi can connect multiple plants, forming what researchers call common mycorrhizal networks (CMNs). Reviews discuss these networks as potential routes for stress-related signals and resource transfers.
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A fungal network is not the only possible route. Root contact, soil-borne chemicals, and other processes may operate at the same time, so detecting a response between plants does not by itself identify the pathway. Researchers also distinguish detecting a signal or transfer from demonstrating a lasting benefit to the recipient.
What the evidence does—and does not—show
Results from controlled experiments can establish that a cue or transfer is possible under particular conditions. They do not automatically show how often it happens in natural forests, whether it improves a tree’s survival or reproduction, or whether the sender pays a cost. Those are separate questions from whether a short-term physiological response occurs.
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The scale of a claim matters. A result from a limited set of species or a greenhouse setting should not be treated as evidence that all forest trees routinely exchange help. The 2022 review reports that chronic background insect herbivory is estimated at 1 to 15% of biomass annually, depending on geographic region. That figure describes herbivory, not communication, signaling frequency, or the benefits of fungal networks.
Why scientists disagree about the “wood-wide web”
The debate is not simply about whether mycorrhizal fungi exist or whether transfers can occur. It concerns how widespread and consequential CMNs are in forests, how studies establish the pathway and cause, and whether observed effects improve tree performance in ecological settings.
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The 2023 critique of forest-network claims
In a 2023 analysis, Justine Karst, Melanie D. Jones, and Jason D. Hoeksema argued that positive citation bias and overinterpreted results have contributed to misinformation about CMNs in forests. They said there was no peer-reviewed published evidence that mature trees preferentially send resources and defense signals to their offspring through these networks. This challenges a prominent “mother tree” claim; it does not establish that fungal networks or transfers never occur.
The 2024 argument from mycoheterotrophic plants
A 2024 Nature Plants article argued that mycoheterotrophic plants—plants that obtain resources through fungi—provide evidence for common networks and net carbon transfer among diverse plants. That is an argument within the debate, not proof that forest trees in general routinely provide resources to one another.
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The 2025 response
In a 2025 opinion, Suzanne Simard, Teresa (Sm’hayetsk) Ryan, and David Perry defended evidence that CMNs exist and that transfers can occur. They also described effects on tree performance as context dependent. Their response and the 2023 critique differ over how to interpret the evidence and what it establishes about ecological consequences; neither supports turning a possible pathway into a universal rule about forests.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How to read claims about trees helping trees
When you encounter a claim about forest cooperation, check what was actually measured and where:
- Pathway: Was the proposed route an airborne volatile, roots or soil, or a shared fungal network? Could more than one route explain the result?
- Setting: Was the evidence collected in a laboratory, greenhouse, or natural forest, and which species were involved?
- Outcome: Did researchers detect a cue or transfer, observe a short-term response, or demonstrate improved growth, survival, or reproduction?
- Interpretation: Is cooperation the measured result, or an explanation placed on top of it? A transfer or neighbor response alone does not establish intention, altruism, or a net benefit to both plants.
These distinctions explain how plant signaling can be a genuine biological phenomenon while popular claims about forest-wide mutual aid remain unsettled. The scientific question is not only whether plants exchange cues or materials, but under which conditions those exchanges change the long-term fortunes of the plants involved.
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