Long before flowers used color or scent, some plants used heat to communicate. Harvard researchers studying ancient plants called cycads found that male plants warm their cones to attract beetle pollinators. Once the insects arrive, the male cones cool and then the female cones heat up, guiding beetles to carry pollen where it’s needed. This heat-based signaling may be one of the oldest pollination systems on Earth. It reminds us that plants don’t just rely on beauty — they use physics, chemistry, and even temperature to survive and reproduce.
Growing Home - Some Plants Use Heat to Communicate
