do plants flourish after a storm or do they simply look fresher and greener because they have taken a shower? Since this look of plants cannot be achieved with a sprinkler, the implication is that something more dramatic happens during thunderstorms. Botanists now offer scientific evidence to support this assertion (New Scientist , Vol 155, No 2096).

Researchers believe that plants can detect electricity that accompanies a storm. This electricity allows a plant's metabolism