Plants go into a state of all-consuming “panic” when it rains, according to surprised scientists. This response is so unusual because plants obviously need water to live. The researchers think that the “panic” response is due to the fact moisture creates the number one way for diseases to spread in vegetation. Biochemist Harvey Millar from The University of Western Australia explained: “When a raindrop splashes across a leaf, tiny droplets of water ricochet in all directions. These droplets can contain bacteria, viruses, or fungal spores. A single droplet can spread these up to 10 meters (32-feet) to surrounding plants.” The longer a leaf is wet, the greater the chance that a disease can take hold. So, this is why the researchers think plants react to rain like humans would react to someone sneezing on them.
Link:https://nypost.com/2019/11/05/plants-freak-out-and-panic