Fruits And Veggies Are Alive, Can Defend Against Herbivores. Fruits and vegetables in the produce aisle are alive and can defend against pests.

Is broccoli a living thing?

As weird as it may sound, the fruits and vegetables in the produce aisle at the grocery store are still alive. So alive, in fact, that they still have "internal clocks" that respond to the environment, according to a new study in the journal Current Biology.

Are vegetables considered alive?

Even after they've been harvested and cut from one another, their cells remain active and alive. Dr. Braam's team now shows that post-harvest vegetables and fruits can in fact continue to perceive light and, as a result, their biological clocks keep on ticking.