Art, obsession, and identity
They defined the term as “the inability to see or notice the plants in one’s own environment,” which in turn leads to “the inability to recognize the importance of plants in the biosphere and in human affairs.”
Think about the last time you took a walk in the park. Chances are you clearly remember the dog who came to say hello, or the ducks sitting idly on the pond waiting for bread.
As strange as it may sound, plant blindness is actually hardwired into our brains. There are both cognitive and cultural reasons that we find it easier to pick out animals than plants.
Firstly, there’s the fact that plants don’t move, they grow close to each other, and they are often similar colors. Given that the human brain is a “difference detector,” they tend not to jump out at us.
This is a well-documented phenomenon that is not unique to humans: scientists have detected the same behavior in blue jays, for example.
In 1998, American botanists and biology educators Elisabeth Schussler and James Wandersee gave this inability to notice flora a name: “plant blindness.”
Then there is the fact that as primates we tend to pay more attention to species that are closer to our own. Animals can move, see, and listen, and are therefore more discernible.
And yet, do you remember the trees, bushes, and flowers that lined the pathways on which you strolled? We would wager not...
Again, this is not limited to our species: ape psychologist Fumihiro Kano has reported that great apes are “generally more interested in the creatures that are more similar to them in appearance.”
The main cultural reason for the phenomenon is that education tends to be animal-centric rather than plant-centric. There is even a name for this: zoocentrism.
In fact, if left to its own devices, plant blindness could have some rather serious ramifications for both the environment and human health.
The dwindling interest in plants means that conservation efforts are a lot less concerted for plants than they are for animals.
For example, in 2011 some 57% of the federal endangered species list in the US was made up of plants, and yet they received less than 4% of funding.
When teaching children about basic biology, teachers tend to use animals rather than plants as examples. This renders animals more familiar to children than plants.
You may be thinking “but why does all this matter?” So what if I remember the dog from the park but not the beautiful great oak tree?
As we continue to drain the world’s reserve of fossil fuels, for example, plants will provide an important source of renewable energy in the form of fossil fuels.
Plant blindness is also responsible for the reduced interest in plant research. Plant biology courses are heavily undersubscribed and funding is being cut.
This is worrying because plant research is paramount when it comes to making scientific breakthroughs; more than 28,000 species of plant are used medicinally.
This is problematic not just for reasons of biodiversity, but because we continue to rely on plants to solve many problems of the 21st century.
There is also an important ethical advantage associated with using plants rather than animals for scientific testing and experimenting.
Just recently, for example, scientific analysis revealed that the armillaria gallica mushroom may be able to help mankind in its fight against cancer.
Firstly we should make an effort to increase the frequency with which we see plants. Why not take a stroll in a nearby botanical garden or participate in a local gardening project?
According to Elisabeth Schussler, seeing plants should be encouraged in children from a young age, before they “start saying they are bored with plants.”
Emphasizing plants in art projects could also help bring them to people’s attention and increase engagement. Projects such as those at the Gothenburg Botanical Garden in Sweden, for instance.
“So what can we do about this?” we hear you ask. Thankfully there are some steps we can take to help combat plant blindness and its effects.
To quote Elisabeth Schussler: “Although our human brains may be wired for plant blindness, we can overcome it with greater awareness.”
Sources: (BBC) (Treehugger)
See also: Beautiful indoor plants to grow at home
Sanders’ research suggests, for example, that students in Sweden already connect with plants on a deeper level than students in the US.
Dawn Sanders, who has worked on projects at the Gothenburg Botanical Garden, has noticed that art with an emphasis on plants can do wonders for students’ engagement.
Upon first hearing, the term "plant blindness" might sound like a joke. It conjures images of plants that have somehow lost their sight. However, plant blindness is in fact an accepted term, and it refers to our tendency not to notice the plants around us.
It may not sound like a serious problem, but the reality is that our subconscious reluctance to take note of the flora in our surroundings could have serious ramifications for both the planet and humankind.
Check out this gallery to learn about plant blindness and what can be done about it.
She has found that visuals and stories can help students to interact better with plants and even start asking specific questions about plants, e.g. how long a particular species of plant lives.
So there are things we can do to help reduce the plant blindness we suffer from as a species, even if the problem is greater in some societies than others.
What is plant blindness and what can we do about it?
The condition that sounds fake but is very real
LIFESTYLE Flora
Upon first hearing, the term "plant blindness" might sound like a joke. It conjures images of plants that have somehow lost their sight. However, plant blindness is in fact an accepted term, and it refers to our tendency not to notice the plants around us.
It may not sound like a serious problem, but the reality is that our subconscious reluctance to take note of the flora in our surroundings could have serious ramifications for both the planet and humankind.
Check out this gallery to learn about plant blindness and what can be done about it.