Botanical Bloggers Edit
Japanese Plant Authors Blog

The world’s first plant to blog lives in Japan—more specifically, on a cafe counter in Tokyo. This potted blogger even has a name: Midori-san although it is really a sweetheart plant (Hoya kerrii).

Sensors have been attached to its leaves. When the plant responds to light and human touch, detectors pick up the electronic signals which correspond to its mood and health. The information, combined with weather and temperature is transformed via a computer algorithm into charming, chatty blogs. One entry read, “Today was a sunny day and I was able to sunbathe a lot… I had quite a bit of fun today.” Perhaps the fun it had was plenty of petting by human visitors!

Satoshi Kuribayashi, one of Keio University’s project team members who helped Midori-san communicate, said that they wanted to see if plants could really feel and to monitor their reactions. Midori-san shows there is something to be said for talking to plants.