Tree proprioception allows plants to perceive and correct body posture

Researchers from INRAE and the Université Clermont Auvergne in France have provided the first direct experimental evidence that trees possess proprioception, the ability to perceive the shape and position of their own bodies. According to a study published in the journal New Phytologist, tree trunks do not merely respond to external stimuli like gravity and light, but also to their own curvature.

To correct their posture and orient growth, trees utilize a mechanism involving tension wood. This type of reaction wood forms on one side of the stem, generating internal forces that act similarly to muscles to modify the plant's direction. In experimental settings, horizontal stems were observed curving upward to regain vertical orientation by utilizing this internal feedback loop.