It would be great if some invasive species behaved this way. The chemical which causes the plants to restrain themselves could be used to slow down their growth.
This really struck me, since I'm so accustomed to thinking of plants as little more than scenery and nutrition. However, when you think about it, it's obvious that plants should exhibit very complicated behaviors, since they've been evolving for so long. I just never really thought about it.
While I agree that this article made me think twice about my preconceptions of plant-life, it is nonetheless important to remember that evolution -- despite the length of time involved -- does not necessarily lead to complicated behavior.
Right. Maybe sophisticated would have been a better choice of words. I just mean that it should have been obvious that they would be highly adapted and competitive, considering the ways some plants interact with specific birds and insects.