What plants are doing...without us!

This is such a fascinating book, but I think I need to reread it several times over! It has so much information…too much to absorb at one time. Every time I have seen a tomato hornworm that has been parasitized by a wasp, I have assumed that it was just luck that the wasp saw a juicy caterpillar in which to lay her eggs. Apparently, though, the tomato plant made it happen. Plants are able to communicate with other plants and organisms by releasing tiny molecules (VOC’s), often associated with distinct smells. This can alert the wasp that the plant is in trouble and being invaded by hornworms, so the female wasp responds by laying her eggs under the skin of that hornworm. As the eggs hatch the larvae actually feed on the hornworm’s insides. The larvae eat their way out of the caterpillar and spin cocoons which look like grains of rice attached to the caterpillar’s back. Eventually adult wasps will emerge from the cocoons and the weakened hornworm will die. Scientists are learning so much about these odors, but aren’t sure how the signals are received and interpreted. They have even discovered evidence that certain plants will be more hospitable when planted near “kin” as opposed to “strangers”…even in overcrowded conditions. For those of use who plant intensively in small spaces, this has major ramifications! If you enjoy plants and wonder what their lives are like, find a copy of this book…and prepare to be AMAZED.