Jainism teaches ahimsa (non-violence) as the core principle of living rightly. When we ask how Jainism explains the suffering we cause to plants, the key ideas are:

• All living beings have a jiva (soul) and a right to life. This includes plants. They are living, sentient in a minimal sense, and their jiva is bound by karma just like any other living being.
• harming any living being generates karmic bondage. The more life-form or the more sentient the being, the greater the karmic effect. Plants, though less complex than animals, are still living and thus deserve consideration.
• The aim is to minimize harm as far as possible. This leads to a diet and lifestyle that reduces violence to all life forms. Vegetarianism is common in Jain practice because it avoids killing animals; many Jains also reflect on plant life and try to harvest with care and gratitude, recognizing that even plant life experiences some form of distress when uprooted or cut.
• There are nuanced views about plants in Digambar and Shvetambar traditions. Both traditions emphasize non-violence, but they may differ in exact rituals, scriptures, or interpretations about the scope of ahimsa toward plant life. The essential message in both is to avoid needless harm and to cultivate compassion for all living beings.
• Practical takeaway: Jains often choose foods and farming practices that reduce harm—for example, mindful harvesting, avoiding unnecessary uprooting, and, in some communities, avoiding root vegetables because their removal can kill many organisms inside the plant. The overarching goal is a life lived with awareness of the jiva’s right to life and with steady effort to reduce violence.

If you’d like, I can provide a concise summary of relevant Jain sutras or stotras on ahimsa and the treatment of living beings (including plants) in Digambar and Shvetambar traditions.