I don’t think we should anthropomorphize plants to the point where we feel guilty about eating them, but I do think society as a whole is missing a kind of fundamental respect for nature and discounts the complexity and interestingness of plant life.

In a world where conserving nature is simultaneously increasingly difficult and increasingly important, I don’t mind a bit of artistic license when it comes to descriptions of plant life if it leads to more awareness and more people thinking twice about plants and how we treat natural ecosystems.

Obviously there’s a balance to be struck though.