Ask Your Plants If You'll Need a Brolly

Want to know if there's a storm brewing? Then perhaps you should consult your potted plants.

Some of them have an uncanny power to provide their own forecast, say scientists. They can predict downpours by detecting electricity in the atmosphere. It could explain what every gardener knows--that plants look particularly healthy after thundery weather.

Experiments at Imperial College, London, by botanist Andrew Goldsworthy have shown that plant cells react to electric current. Alerted by ions in the air, they switch their roots on to maximum input to soak up the rain as soon as it falls. "Plants are very clever at sensing the environment," said Mr. Goldsworthy.

His revelations could spark a revolution in farming and gardening. He believes electricity could stimulate growth of crops and flowers and even make seeds more productive. (This article was recently published in a newspaper in England. A brolly is an umbrella.)