his name is thorton and he comes from a planet where the plants have extremely long lifespans and are mobile and can feed themSELVES. the plants on his home planet can also speak to one another telepathically. he came to earth hoping to find out what grass and trees are!! and make friends!! but he soon finds out that the plants on earth cant talk. and he doesnt know if they wanna be friends with him. and they die very quickly. he starts his own greenhouse with no knowledge of how to care for plants, and all his new plant friends slowly die because he doesnt water them and is constantly trying to help them walk. THATS WHY ferns death is so tragic to him. its the first one of his friends to die and thorton feels genuine sadness about it.