Faq

The story of Plant Music started in the late 1970s at Damanhur, when Oberto Airaudi and fellow researchers asked a bold question: Can plants truly communicate with us and their environment?
Their studies of trees and flowers uncovered something remarkable plants use electrical conductivity as a vital part of their life force, and they respond intelligently to the world around them. Echoing insights from the groundbreaking book The Secret Life of Plants, these early experiments revealed that plants are constantly sending out subtle electrical signals—normally invisible to humans.
With the help of electrodes and specially designed devices, those invisible signals were transformed into music. For the first time, people could listen to plants as they expressed themselves—opening the door to a new way of connecting science, nature, and sound.

At its heart, Plant Music is a fusion of nature and technology. The device connects to a plant with two gentle electrodes, one on a leaf, the other near its roots, and translates the plant’s subtle electrical activity into sound. Inside, advanced software, a microcontroller, and a synthesizer work together to turn those tiny shifts in energy into music.
Because plants are living, responsive beings, their electrical patterns are always changing. A touch, a drop of water, even movement in the room can create spikes in activity and each change shapes the music you hear.
In this way, the device acts like a musical instrument where the plant is the true composer. Its natural energy determines the tone, rhythm, and melody, whether expressed through strings, organs, brass, or even sounds inspired by the rainforest. The result is a one-of-a-kind musical journey, an ever-changing composition that invites calm, wonder, and a deeper connection with the living world.

Research is revealing that plants may have a sense surprisingly close to hearing. Scientists like Monica Gagliano and Michael Renton (University of Western Australia, BMC Ecology, 2013) found that plants don’t just “see” light or “smell” chemicals from their neighbors, they can also respond to sound.
Take insect attacks: studies by Heidi Appel and Reginald Cocroft (University of Missouri, 1993) showed that the vibrations from a caterpillar chewing on leaves can prompt a plant to release chemical defenses, even if it only “heard” a recording of the chewing.
Even underground, plants are busy making sound. Roots produce subtle vibrations that act like a radar, guiding them through the soil and sending signals to other plants.
Together, these discoveries suggest that when a plant makes music through our devices, it may also be “listening” and responding in ways we are only just beginning to understand.

Research suggests they do. Professor Stefano Mancuso (2014) demonstrated that Mimosa pudica plants could “learn” from experience. After repeated drops from 15 cm, the plants stopped closing their leaves, conserving energy instead. Remarkably, this memory lasted for more than 40 days, with low-light plants learning even faster.
Further studies by Dieter Volkmann (University of Bonn) showed that pea plants placed horizontally “remembered” the correct root direction for up to five days. Not every plant learned at the same pace, hinting at individual differences within the same species.
Applied to Plant Music, this means some plants may “learn” to make music more quickly, and even become “teachers” for others. Our many years of experiments confirm this fascinating possibility.
(From Music of the Plants)

Yes, through music. At first, a plant simply notices that the device’s sounds match its electrical signals. But over time, it begins to shape those signals, influencing the music and actively engaging with people.
Seasoned plants go even further: they can echo melodies, scales, and notes, especially when playing alongside musicians. In some cases, when a meditative atmosphere is created, plants have even matched the exact frequency of a sung note.
These experiences reveal something extraordinary: plants not only hear and respond to sound, but they also learn how to use the device itself, opening the door to genuine musical communication between humans and the plant world.

Yes, and what we’ve seen is extraordinary. More experienced plants, once they’ve learned to interact with our devices, actually seem to “teach” other plants, helping them pick it up faster.
As Salvatore Camaleonte Sanfilippo describes, in the early days plants made random sounds with little variation. But as they realized they were in control, they began to compose rich, harmonious melodies almost as if they delighted in both making and sharing music.
Even more fascinating, plants can pass on their learning simply by being placed within each other’s energetic field (aura). Thanks to this, we’ve been able to create “Plant Concerts” across the world, where audiences witness plants producing music of astonishing quality.
(From the book Music of the Plants)

Absolutely. The music created by plants has a profound calming and restorative effect on both body and mind.
Just 20 minutes of listening can deliver the same mental and physical benefits as two full hours of deep meditation. It’s a simple, natural way to ease stress, sharpen focus, and feel more connected to the living world around you.
Perfect as a companion while working, unwinding, or supporting practices like yoga, massage, and mindfulness, plant music creates a soothing atmosphere wherever it’s played.
It’s also wonderful for children, offering a comforting, inspiring soundscape that nurtures play, focus, and learning.

Yes. Research shows that simply being near plants and trees can enhance physical, mental, and emotional health. Now, doctors and holistic practitioners are exploring how listening to plant music can go even further, reducing recovery times, easing stress, and promoting overall healing in spaces from homes to hospitals to workplaces.

Absolutely. Plant music creates a bridge between human awareness and plant intelligence, helping us sense the presence, sensitivity, and wisdom of the plant world on a deeper level.
Studies confirm that having plants around reduces stress, lifts mood, and boosts productivity while purifying the air and creating harmony. Listening to plant music takes this even further, transforming everyday contact with nature into a conscious, interactive relationship.
By nurturing this connection, we rediscover our place within nature itself and embrace a vision of the world where protecting the environment is no longer separate from life, it is part of who we are.

When children are present, the music of plants often becomes brighter and more dynamic. Their natural curiosity and spontaneity seem to awaken an intuitive bond with the plant world.
In school settings, we’ve seen plants adapt their melodies to the energy in the room, responding directly to the children’s presence. If the atmosphere is calm, the music flows harmoniously. If the excitement becomes overwhelming, the plants may pause a gentle reminder that they prefer a respectful, mindful approach.
These experiences give children a rare and meaningful way to sense the sensitivity of plants, helping them learn kindness, respect, and a deeper connection to the natural world.

Yes, sometimes in fascinating ways. Plants can sense not just our touch, but also our presence and emotions. Research has shown that they respond to both physical and emotional energy, revealing a deeper level of connection than we once imagined.
Even without touching, your intention and mood can influence the melodies. But when you place your hand gently on a leaf, your electromagnetic field interacts with the plant’s and the device translates this into real-time changes in the music.
This interaction highlights the extraordinary sensitivity of plants and reminds us that humans and nature share a common language one written in energy, emotion, and vibration.

Yes. Roberto Cigno Secchi, a musician and composer, spent years exploring the voices of plants, from roses and pines to rosemary, ficus, and even blades of grass. His work led to the album Music of the Plants, capturing the extraordinary diversity of the plant kingdom in sound.
What he discovered is remarkable: plants respond differently depending on their environment and the people around them, even without direct touch. Roses, for example, often create harmonious, repeating patterns and red roses sound completely different from white ones, as if they were from separate worlds. Chestnuts and birches, by contrast, play in unpredictable, surprising ways.
Each plant expresses itself uniquely, opening our ears to a language of nature that is alive, diverse, and never the same twice.

Yes. Researcher and musician Roberto Cigno Secchi notes that the very same plant can play in entirely different ways depending on the time of day.
Some plants seem most active in the morning, while others sing more freely at night. Even small potted plants often create melodies throughout the day, shifting their style and energy as the hours pass.
These variations remind us that plants, like people, have their own rhythms and cycles, bringing fresh expressions of music and connection with every moment.

Musician Roberto Cigno Secchi explains that playing with plants is about harmony, not control. Plants don’t follow a set melody, each moment is unique, unrepeatable, and alive.
Musicians can prepare by knowing which scale the plant’s impulses will translate into, making it easier to choose instruments and accompany the plant’s music. But others may prefer pure improvisation, letting go of expectations and following the plant’s lead.
Either way, the real magic happens when human and plant create music together, guided by empathy, spontaneity, and shared creativity.

Plants respond best when the music begins gently. Start with single notes, slowly, and give the plant space to join in. As the connection deepens, you can gradually add rhythm, tempo, and harmony.
Like any good band, it takes time, patience, and practice for the partnership to grow. But once it does, human and plant begin to improvise together, creating a natural flow of music that is deeply connected and completely unique.

Salvatore “Camaleonte” Sanfilippo recalls a striking moment in a greenhouse. A plant was playing happily until a group of students entered, carrying boredom and disinterest with them. Almost instantly, the music stopped.
No other plants responded until the very last student left the room. Then, suddenly, one plant began to sing again. As one teacher remarked, “I’d say the experiment was a great success.”
This story highlights how deeply plants sense the energy around them. In negative or dismissive environments, they may fall silent. But in spaces filled with respect and harmony, plants seem eager to share their voices.

Salvatore “Camaleonte” Sanfilippo’s experiments suggest that plants exposed to music flourish more than those that remain silent — even when given the same light, soil, and care.
In one test, two cyclamens were grown side by side. The plant connected to a music device produced more, larger leaves than its twin. In another case, an Impatiens Sultanii that traveled with Sanfilippo for concerts grew to twice the size of its greenhouse counterpart, with more shoots, leaves, and a richer structure.
Even more fascinating, musical plants often bloom more, with flowers opening just hours after playing. These experiences hint that plant music isn’t just a beautiful expression, it may also nurture a plant’s growth and vitality.

According to Jean Thoby, our French partner and founder of the Plantarium botanical garden, the answer is yes. His research shows that plants don’t just create music for human, their sounds can actually encourage the growth of other plants.
Experiments at Plantarium and with local growers have demonstrated that plant-generated vibrations can harmonize life around them, even reducing harmful influences. It’s one more way plants remind us of their extraordinary role in the balance of nature.

Sometimes silence is simply the plant reflecting its environment. Several factors can keep it from producing vibrations, including:
• dry leaves — try moistening the surface
• low soil moisture
• roots confined in an airless pot
• chemical fertilizers or forced cultivation
• stress
• too much surrounding noise
Note: Plants with thick, glossy leaves (like camellias) are best “heard” when in bloom, by placing the sensor on a petal instead of a leaf.
If your plant falls quiet, don’t worr, it’s not a failure, but an invitation to adjust its conditions and reconnect.