The gift of awareness: What is plant blindness, and how do we combat it?

American cancer-root - parasitic plant of roots of oak spp.

I first heard of plant blindness years ago while working in the Botany Department of the Museum where I was employed. As an advocate of plants, it’s an invisible, yet tangible foe that I’ve wrestled with on numerous occasions. The specter that embodies plant blindness would manifest itself each time I sought to capture the imagination of Herbarium visitors with the “cool” native northeastern Ohio plants, such as our native carnivorous plants, parasitic plants, or native orchids. Similarly, when my co-worker and I would give our plant families presentation to local gardening clubs or herb societies, I felt compelled to console the attendees that if it seemed as though they were learning a foreign language in reference to the botanical terms, it’s because they were! Plant terminology can be challenging to learn I believe, at least in part, because we generally cannot equate the terms to ourselves. This inability to relate plants to human-like movement or features, along with other factors we’ll review later, seems to be part of the reason we take plants for granted.

So, what is plant blindness?

The concept of plant blindness (also called plant awareness disparity) was first introduced by James Wandersee and Elizabeth Schussler, two American Botanist-educators, in 1999. The idea centers around not only a person’s tendency to be indifferent to the plants around them, but also brings to attention that most individuals are unaware of the important role plants play in both ecosystems and to human existence. Additionally, various articles pointed out that there is a general lack of knowledge of plant biology in our culture. Interestingly, some of those studying plant blindness found these points extended to the scientific community as well. 

Now you know what plant blindness is, but why is combating plant blindness important?

1.     Food Security: Our planet’s climate is changing. We need to understand the effects that climate change will have on plants so that we can better accommodate for the effects of climate change on the crop foods we depend upon to live. Food crops are sensitive to changes in weather conditions, and they are often adapted to grow in specific climates. Some aspects of how our changing climate affects food crop production are highlighted in this August 2023 PBS interview “How climate change is disrupting the global food supply” with Climate scientist Jonas Jagermeyr of Columbia University and NASA.

2.     Nature Deficit Disorder: A lack of appreciation of plants can exacerbate the growing “Nature Deficit Disorder.” Time in nature is believed to have positive health benefits mentally, emotionally, and physically. 

Quick Note: What is Nature Deficit Disorder? The term was coined by Author Richard Louv in 2005. It refers to the alienation of humans from nature and the resulting detriment to human physical and mental health and to the good of the environment.  

3.     The cute and cuddly animal effect: (Also called Charismatic Megafauna) Sadly, plant centered projects and initiatives are less frequently funded than those that center around animals.

4.     Like the Charismatic Megafauna effect, it’s thought that plant blindness contributes to the decline in botanical research overall and to a reduction in plant conservation efforts. This phenomenon is mentioned in the 2020 Royal Botanical Gardens Kew article by Dr. Carly Cowell titled “Plant blindness and conservation implication; wildlife includes plants too.”

5.     Loss of Biodiversity: To combat the loss of plant diversity due to climate change, we need to understand the characteristics of plants. To stop or slow down the decrease in plant biodiversity and the increase in plant extinction due to human impacts, we need to have a better awareness of and understanding of plant species and their ecosystems. An article published by Knapp et al. (2020) on the Vascular plant extinction in the continental United States and Canada highlights the importance of documenting existing plant diversity and the usefulness of historical botanical collections in efforts to prevent future plant extinction events. They also point out that more plant species may be extinct than previously realized. Similarly, the article Illegal wildlife trade and the persistence of “plant blindness” (2019) discusses the challenges of protecting wild plant species from the illegal trade industry.

Some possible causes of plant blindness

·      “Visual homogeneity” – Because plants typically blend in with one another, they don’t tend to catch our attention. Unless we are consciously aware of the individual plant species, our minds seem to gloss over plants and meld them into a green background. During my research, the idea of camouflage was broached. We humans wear camo clothing to blend into forest settings. Animals use camouflage called cryptic coloration to blend in with their natural surroundings – could blending in with one another be a plant defense technique?

Swamp forest

·      Plants don’t generally pose a threat to humans. They are not a predator to be wary of, which may be one reason they are relegated to the background in our minds. Thinking about this, I remember leading field trips at which some of the attendees would be severely allergic to Poison Ivy. Frequently, the participants who were allergic to poison Ivy couldn’t identify the plants. After I discovered this, I purposely tried to point out the offending plant to the field trip participants. Knowing is half the battle, right?

·      Lack of knowledge or understanding of plants – This is understandable. After all, we are more likely to care about things that we have awareness of and a personal connection with. This idea supports education as a potential means to combat plant blindness.

·      Lack of motion - Plants don’t tend to draw our attention since they are stationary.

·      Lack of exposure to nature – In our current society, many people don’t have regular exposure to natural spaces, and we live in a car-centered culture.

·      In industrialized or urban areas, a lack of a dependence on local natural resources - As a culture, we’ve moved away from a direct dependence on natural resources to meet our needs. For example, most people go to the store for their food or clothing needs. Most of us aren’t dependent upon growing/raising our foods or producing fibers for our clothing. This lack of direct contact with the natural resources we depend upon has led to apathy towards those plants or other natural resources.

Urbanization and digitization – Urban ecosystems don’t readily offer the equivalent opportunities to develop an appreciation for plants as rural areas. Although, I do believe we can foster a love of plants in an urban setting through hands-on growing and nurturing of plants in gardens and education of the wild plants that prosper in urban landscapes. Our increasing dependency on digital devices and increased time spent indoors pose additional challenges.

How to combat plant blindness in society and for the next generation?     

My daughter discovering crocuses a few Spring seasons ago

1.     Introduce children to educational experiences related to plants and emphasize their value from an early age. Educate primary school teachers in basic local flora – urban flora, too. Also, adults who can mentor the child’s interest in plants are important role models.

2.     Stress the vital significance of plants to human existence and our survival. Likewise, impress upon them the role plants play in ecosystems and the survival of other organisms.

3.     Note the importance in combating plant blindness to global climate change and in preserving global biodiversity – we need people to take notice that plants are vital and that we are losing them!

4.     For children and adults in urban settings, provide activities that encourage close contact with plants.

5.     Encourage nature related hobbies.

How can you help?

·      Take time to learn a new plant. Better yet, learn in depth about the plant’s biological processes. How does that plant function in the ecosystem (This can be your yard. You may not view your yard as an ecosystem, but the other organisms that live there probably do!) Or take a look at a plant under a lens or dissecting microscope (stereo microscope). You’ll experience a whole different perspective!

·      Encourage (and attend) educational opportunities of plants in our schools, cultural organizations, community outreach events, citizen science, and through exhibits. The article “Resetting the table for people and plants: Botanic gardens and research organizations collaborate to address food and agricultural plant blindness” addresses ways to engage the public on the topic of agricultural plant blindness.

·      Share with others! Talk to others – passion is contagious. Or draw a picture, paint a plant portrait, write a story or poem, etc.

There are many resources out there on this topic of plant blindness (or plant awareness disparity). Here is a list of just a few that I read for this post.

Resources 

1.     Jose, S.B., Wu, C., & Kamoun, S. (2019). Overcoming plant blindness in science, education, and society. New Phytologist Foundation. https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/ppp3.51#:~:text=might%20overcome%20it.-,2%20WHAT%20IS%20PLANT%20BLINDNESS%3F,appreciate%20their%20unique%20biological%20features. Accessed May 19, 2023.

2.     Sanders, D.L. (2019). Standing in the shadows of plants. New Phytologist Foundation. https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/ppp3.10059. Accessed May 19, 2023.

3.     Rutledge, K. et al. (2023) Biosphere. National Geographic. https://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/biosphere/ . Accessed May 19, 2023.

4.     University of Exeter (2022). Human “Plant Blindness: - New Study Identifies Cause and Cure. SciTechDaily. https://scitechdaily.com/human-plant-blindness-new-study-identifies-cause-and-cure/. Accessed May 25, 2023.

5.     Futa, B. (2020). Five Things Everyone Should Know about “Plant Blindness” (and how we can cure it). University of Wisconsin. https://grow.cals.wisc.edu/deprecated/five-things/five-things-everyone-should-know-about-plant-blindness-and-how-we-can-cure-it . Accessed May 25, 2023.

6.     Louv, R. (2019). What is Nature Deficit Disorder? Richard Louv Blog. https://richardlouv.com/blog/what-is-nature-deficit-disorder/ Accessed May 26, 2023.

7.     Warber, S.L., DeHudy, A.A., Bialko, M.F., Marselle, M.R. & Irvine, K.N. (2015). Addressing “Nature-Deficit Disorder”: A Mixed Methods Pilot Study of Young Adults Attending a Wilderness Camp. National Library of Medicine. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4695668/ Accessed May 26, 2023.

8.     Boudreau, D. et al. (2023). Camouflage. National Geographic. https://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/camouflage/. Accessed June 9, 2023. 

9.     Cowell, C. (2020). Plant blindness and conservation implications; Wildlife includes plants, too. Royal Botanic Gardens Kew. https://www.kew.org/read-and-watch/plant-blindness-conservation-implications. Accessed June 9, 2023.

10.  Keim, B. (2019). Plant blindness and the illegal wildlife trade. Anthropocene Magazine. https://www.anthropocenemagazine.org/2019/08/plant-blindness-illegal-wildlife-trade/ . June 9, 2023.

11.  National Park Service. (n.d.). Plants and Climate Change.

https://www.nps.gov/articles/000/plants-climateimpact.htm. Accessed June 30, 2023.

12.  Harrison, S. (2020). Plant community diversity will decline more than increase under climatic warming. The Royal Society Publishing. https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rstb.2019.0106 Accessed June 30, 2023.

13.  Kirk, K. (2020). More CO2 in the atmosphere hurts key plants and crops more than is helps. Yale Climate Connections. https://yaleclimateconnections.org/2020/12/more-co2-in-the-atmosphere-hurts-key-plants-and-crops-more-than-it-helps/?gclid=CjwKCAjw5MOlBhBTEiwAAJ8e1kz-5P9o1E-A3RS-MJ1_lrx1bQ37G4mEWeNZb53n6cfE3sdkmNBHsBoCRqcQAvD_BwE Accessed July 14, 2023.

14.  Brusowankin, A. (2022). Preventing Plant Extinction Caused by Climate Change. Public Broadcasting Service (PBS): The Green Planet. https://www.pbs.org/articles/preventing-plant-extinction-caused-by-climate-change, February 19, 2024.

15.  Vaughan, D. (2023). Charismatic Megafauna. Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/science/charismatic-megafauna. (Accessed February 19, 2024).

16.  Knapp, WM, et al. (2020). Vascular plant extinction in the continental United States and Canada. Conservation Biology. Vol 35, Issue 1. P.360-368. https://conbio.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/cobi.13621Accessed February 20, 2024.

17.  Margulies, J.D. et al. (2019). Illegal wildlife trade and the persistence of “plant blindness.” Plant, People, Planet. Vol 1, Issue 3. P. 173-182. https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ppp3.10053. Accessed February 20, 2024.

18.  Krishnan, S. et al. (2019). Resetting the table for people and plants: Botanic gardens and research organizations collaborate to address food and agricultural plant blindness. Plant, People, Planet. https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/ppp3.34. Accessed February 23, 2024.

19.  Yang, J. & Jagermeyr, J. (2023). How climate change is disrupting the global food supply.  Video interview and transcript. Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) News Weekend. https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/how-climate-change-is-disrupting-the-global-food-supply. Accessed February 23, 2024.

Note: Unless otherwise noted in the image caption, all images were taken by me.