Sunflowers may be cooperating
Shutterstock/Tartesie
Sunflowers move to help their neighbors, and the seemingly random movement of the plant’s roots and shoots actually helps minimize shade in a crowded environment and ensures that all plants get enough light to grow.
Scientists have known about this plant movement (circumnutation) for centuries, but its purpose has always been unclear. “In vines, it’s clear that it’s an exploratory process – searching for new branches to twine around. But in other plants, it’s not clear whether it’s a bug or a feature,” says Yasmin Meros…
