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Thread: Why Do Sunflowers Always Face East?

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  1. #1
    Member DR_GONZO's Avatar
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    Why Do Sunflowers Always Face East?

    Anyone? I never realized this until this year. Years past I have always planted them on the east side of the house. They always faced out, which I never gave much thought to. Then this year I planted them in the back yard against the fence thinking they would look nice starring at the house. Yet they all turned towards my neighbor. Towards the east. Weird!

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    Member ForestBird's Avatar
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    "Facing east at sunrise, the sunflower’s head follows the sun across the sky to face west at sunset. This heliotropic movement, called nutation, results from a bending of the stem toward the sunlight; there is asymmetric growth on the shaded side, causing the flowers to be in a position facing toward the sun. Growth is equalized during the night, the stem slowly straightens out and by dawn is facing east again. On a cloudy overcast day, the sunflower remains facing eastward, awaiting the next clear sunrise. The leaves of the sunflower are also heliotropic. If they are removed, the sunflower head would be unable to follow the sun.

    When sunflower plants reach maturity, most flower heads permanently face east while their backs change color from green to yellow. "

    My safflowers do the same thing, but there's enough tree shade toward the West that they quit turning around Noon-1pm .

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    Member speaker's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by DR_GONZO
    Anyone? I never realized this until this year. Years past I have always planted them on the east side of the house. They always faced out, which I never gave much thought to. Then this year I planted them in the back yard against the fence thinking they would look nice starring at the house. Yet they all turned towards my neighbor. Towards the east. Weird!
    Well, they may be of the Muslim faith.

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    Member wheresthesun's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by speaker
    Well, they may be of the Muslim faith.
    Yes, historically, they are of the Muslim faith.
    Madsci.com said this: The orientation of
    the sunflower to the sun is a direct result of the direction of light. The
    actual movement of the flower occurs as a result of motor cells in a
    structure called the pulvinus.

    Really??? I didn't know they were all male.

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    Member DR_GONZO's Avatar
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    Cool, thanks folks! I had thought mine just didn't like me or something. It was while driving I noticed just about everyone who had sunflowers, they were all facing east. One of those things that you never real notice unless it affects yourself in some way or another.

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    Member speaker's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by wheresthesun
    Yes, historically, they are of the Muslim faith.
    Madsci.com said this: The orientation of
    the sunflower to the sun is a direct result of the direction of light. The
    actual movement of the flower occurs as a result of motor cells in a
    structure called the pulvinus.

    Really??? I didn't know they were all male.
    Let's face it---there's gotta be a loose female or two in the patch, somewhere.

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    Member granpabob's Avatar
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    they are begging albany for more funds
    One good thing about growing old is your secrets are safe with your friends they can't remember them either

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    How will they grow if faced west?

    What happens if you plant them next to your house (against the house) on the west side of your house?

    How will they face east then?
    Youth and beauty is sexy...
    engineering a system by which one can deliver running water throughout an estate is sexier.

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