The finest part of matter is air, of air, soul, of soul, Nous, of Nous, God. CH 6.11

We have known that plants have a respiratory system, in History of Plant Respiration Meirion Thomas tells us of Marcello Malpighi (1628 – 1694) who was an Italian Biologist and who’s theories and experiments in London in 1686 formed the basis of much of the nineteenth century work on respiration in plants. Later discoveries about the composition of air, and about gaseous exchange between plants and the surrounding atmosphere were made in the late 1700’s. Plants do breath.

… therefore nous has taken soul as a cover and the soul, being itself divine, uses breath as fire and the breath governs living things. CH 10.17

…, but all the living (beings) which are endowed with voice have breath and souls, since all that decreases and increases is a living (being). Definitions 4.1

There is a very interesting National Geographic article, Trees Call for Help—And Now Scientists Can Understand by Gabe Popkin regarding plants making noises other than growing sounds of roots and branches. “Trees and plants and the like can, in fact, talk to each othe …” IFLScience have a good read These Incredible Videos Reveal How Plants Send Distress Signals When Under Attack as do the Smithsonian with Do trees talk to each other? Plants have a voice of their own.

CBC Radio blog posting Indigenous stories lead scientist to discover plants can hear refers to a new study by Dr. Monica Gagliano, a research associate professor adjunct in Evolutionary Ecology at the University of Western Australia, who has demonstrated that plants can indeed hear. Plants can sense and move towards moisture in the soil, Dr. Gagliano tested whether they could find water using sound. What she found was that plants will send their roots towards the sound of running water, even a recording of running water. Here are a few CBC Radio hyperlinks for other interesting facts:

• Trees have their own fungal internet
• Plant bleeds nectar to recruit ant bodyguards
• Plants avoid sunburn by shivering away extra heat

Therefore, the movement of the cosmos and of all living material turns out not to arise from that which comes from outside the cosmos but from what is within, which moves outward: from the soul, from the breath of life or from incorporeal being. CH 2.8

The Project Augustine theological blog have a great post Plant Theology: Do Plants Have a Soul? (Plant Neurobiology), what I liked about their experiment was the respect shown to the plants, it appeared that there was no negativity directed at the plants during the recording. Plants can sense their environment and move.

Therefore all is immortal: matter, life, spirit, soul and Nous, from which every living creature has been composed. CH12.18

.. since all that decreases and increases is a living being. DH 4.1