A plethora of biological effects, ranging from cellular survival to apoptosis, has been assigned to sphingolipids and, in particular, to the sphingolipid metabolites ceramide, sphingosine and sphingosine-1-phosphate. One aspect of sphingolipid biology that is currently attracting a great deal of interest in animals and yeast is their role in cell signalling. In contrast, much less is known about sphingolipids in plants, although available information suggests that these compounds may also fulfil important signalling roles. There are suggestions that sphingolipid metabolites may be involved in diverse processes including pathogenesis, membrane stability and the response to drought. Here, we review current information on the role of sphingolipid metabolites and highlight their emerging roles in plant signalling.