Researchers have long known that plants possess proprioception—an awareness of their own body position—but the biological mechanisms underlying this ability remained unclear. A new study has now identified the physical process trees use to maintain upright growth: specialized tissue called tension wood that functions similarly to muscles in animals.
To isolate how trees sense their own shape independently from environmental cues, scientists developed an experimental system using a rotating horizontal platform inside a sphere with uniform lighting. This setup prevented young poplar trees from receiving directional signals from gravity or sunlight. When trees initially positioned horizontally began to curve upward naturally, researchers moved them into this apparatus. Over several weeks, the curved stems gradually straightened, revealing the mechanism behind this correction.
Analysis showed that tension wood, which had originally formed on the upper side of the stems to pull them upward, ceased development once the experiment began. Simultaneously, identical tension wood began forming on the opposite side of the stems, generating opposing forces. This newly formed tension wood acted like an antagonistic muscle group, and as the two forces worked against each other, the curved stems returned to nearly straight positions. The findings demonstrate that trees possess a sophisticated sensorimotor system combining external environmental information with internal awareness of their own posture.
Previously, scientists believed tension wood only developed on the upper side of stems. The research reveals a more complex role, with tension wood capable of forming on different sides and generating forces in various directions to maintain proper posture. This discovery has significant implications for forestry, agriculture, and timber quality. Trees with more effective proprioception could produce straighter wood of higher quality, while improved understanding might help develop cereal crops less prone to lodging—a costly problem where crops collapse before harvest. The findings underscore how trees’ capacity to sense and correct their shape becomes increasingly important as climate change exposes forests to more extreme conditions.
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