ZAP’S FACTS!
FLOWERS

Young sunflowers swivel to follow the sun across the sky.

They face east at dawn, slowly turn west by sunset, then swing back overnight - like solar-powered dancers.

2 min read
Young sunflowers swivel to follow the sun across the sky.
THE FULL STORY

A young sunflower spends its day in slow motion. At sunrise it’s facing east. As the sun climbs and crosses the sky, the whole head of the plant gradually turns to follow it. By sunset, it’s facing west. Then, overnight, it slowly swings all the way back east to be ready for the next dawn.

This sun-following move is called heliotropism, and the plant pulls it off by growing its stem faster on whichever side is in shadow. The shaded side stretches, tipping the head toward the sun. It’s a real-time, slow-motion growth spurt - and it stops once the flower fully opens.

Adult sunflowers actually freeze in place facing east. Scientists think this is because morning sun warms east-facing blooms first, and warm blooms attract way more pollinator bees than cold ones. East-facing flowers get visited up to five times more often.

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