A Study Reveals Why Sunflowers Follow The Sun!!!!

Sunflowers are known for their unique ability to track the movement of the sun throughout the day. This phenomenon is called heliotropism, and it occurs because of a process known as phototropism.

During the day, sunflowers face east in the morning and then gradually turn westwards to follow the sun's movement as it moves across the sky. This movement is controlled by a growth hormone called auxin, which is produced in the stem of the sunflower.

The auxin is distributed unevenly in the stem, causing the stem to grow faster on one side than the other, which causes the sunflower head to tilt in the direction of the sun. As the sun moves across the sky, the sunflower continues to follow it, always facing towards the light.

The sunflower's ability to follow the sun is thought to be an adaptation that allows it to maximize its exposure to sunlight, which is necessary for photosynthesis. By facing the sun, the sunflower can capture more energy from the sun, which it uses to produce the sugars and other compounds it needs to grow and reproduce.

It's worth noting that not all sunflowers exhibit heliotropism. Some varieties of sunflowers, such as the dwarf sunflower, have been bred to have a fixed position and do not follow the sun.

Regenerate response

A sunflower should last between six and twelve days if properly cared for. If you want your flowers to last as long as possible in the vase, choose flowers that are just beginning to open. Strong, straight stems with bright flowers look good on you.

There is no central nervous system in plants, unlike in animals or humans. Plants lack brains and central nervous systems. Plants don't seem to have emotions, according to reputable studies (even if they can sense and feel).

It is not uncommon for science to baffle us in so many ways. Every single day, we discover new things, whether they are natural chemical reactions, strange facts about fauna and flora or ecosystem anomalies. Humans have always been fascinated by the ability of sunflower plants to respond to the sun and turn towards it.

In spite of how delightful it is to watch the sunflowers turn towards the sun, do you know what causes them to do so?

According to NPR.org, a 2016 study suggests that circadian rhythms may explain the young plants' sun-tracking. Heliotropism refers to tracking the sun, and circadian rhythms refer to the behavioural changes we are subject to due to our internal clocks.

Back then, UC Davis Professor and study co-author Stacey Harmer said, "This is the first instance of a plant's clock modulating growth in a natural environment."

It was discovered that the plant's stems grow unevenly throughout the day and night, giving the impression that it is moving with the sun. You can understand this better by watching the animation:

Researchers saw that the stem's growth on the east side was higher during the day and very low at night, and the west side followed the same pattern.

In mature sunflowers, the sun has a different effect on them. Due to the slowing of plant growth, the circadian clock makes it so that morning light affects the plant more strongly than other times during the day. As a result, the plant always faces east and does not move westward during the day.

A comparison was also made between mature flowers facing east and those facing west. It was found that east-facing flowers attracted five times as many pollinators as those facing west.