hibernation of plants

Just like bears,  plants also need to hibernate . They, of course, cannot be put in caves or dens of any kind since, as we know, they do not have legs or legs, but they do not need them, why?

Because they, like us, have a circadian rhythm, that is, they respond to the hours of sunlight, that is, in the morning they spend energy until noon arrives, in the afternoon they spend the energy they have left, and at night they tend to build sugars in their cells so they can keep growing the next day. But, how is the hibernation of plants?

robust ficus

Plants need light to grow, and the more light-hours there are, the more time they have to grow. But it is also essential that the temperature is pleasant for them, otherwise they will not be able to grow . That temperature will vary depending on the species and its origin, but in general we can say that they need an average of at least 14ºC so that their cells can perform their functions correctly.

However, as fall and winter approach, the days get shorter and the temperature drops. Thus, during these days the plants will use more and more sunlight only to store food that they will use when the good weather returns, and not so much to grow. In fact, the rate of growth decreases as the cold becomes more pronounced, becoming completely suspended in regions where frost and snowfall occur.

Yucca in the snow

What happens if they don’t hibernate? The same thing that would happen to us if we didn’t sleep: health would weaken, so they would be very vulnerable to attack by fungi, parasites and any other microorganism that wanted to affect them.

hibernation of plants

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