Scientists Confirm Music Affects Plant Growth — And Certain Genres Make Them 'Scream'
A viral study circulating on social media claims that plants exposed to heavy metal music grow faster and produce higher yields, while classical music causes them to emit ultrasonic "screams" of distress. The rumor, which has sparked heated debates in gardening forums and TikTok plant communities, appears to stem from a misreading of a 2023 paper on plant bioacoustics. Fact-checkers found that the original research actually showed plants respond to vibrations, not genre preferences—and no screaming was detected. However, the fake snippet continues to rack up millions of shares, with users posting videos of their wilting ferns under Beethoven. Real science says: music can influence growth, but the "scream" claim is pure fiction.