Plants Neither Possess nor Require Consciousness.
Trends in Plant Science August 1, 2019 L. Taiz, D. Alkon, A. Draguhn et al.
The authors argue against the claim that plants have consciousness, highlighting that the structural and functional complexity of the brain required for consciousness is not present in plants. They present a new hypothesis by Feinberg and Mallat on the evolution of consciousness in animals, which established criteria based on brain anatomy, functional complexity, and behaviors across a wide range of animals. Only vertebrates, arthropods, and cephalopods met these criteria. Given the organizational simplicity and absence of neurons and brains in plants, the likelihood of plant consciousness is considered effectively nil.