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lilolpeapicker
Stately Oak

Posts: 7,662

Flowers facing wrong way Jul 16, 2019 9:24:28 GMT -5

Post by lilolpeapicker on Jul 16, 2019 9:24:28 GMT -5

In my front yard the sunflowers are are facing away from the rest of the garden. My house sits looking southwest. The sun comes up northeast of the flowers. So I know they start the day doing just that. But throughout the day they do not follow the sun as I would expect.

Now the sun is higher(northerly) and does go over the front part of the house some coming in the front window. Then it is west of the house so why aren't the flowers moving westward?

This has happened with other flowers in that position at the edge of the property.

Anyway to fix this? It does not happened to the flowers not exposed to that morning sun.

Have a great gardening day! hoe, hoe, hoe Pea Upstate NY, zone 5

tom 🕊
Stately Oak

Jones County, NC. Zone 8 28526 ...

Posts: 4,588

Flowers facing wrong way Jul 16, 2019 10:25:58 GMT -5 binnylou, SpringRain🕊️, and 1 more like this

Post by tom 🕊 on Jul 16, 2019 10:25:58 GMT -5

Jul 16, 2019 9:24:28 GMT -5 lilolpeapicker said:

throughout the day they do not follow the sun

They can't turn their heads because they have arthritis in their necks

Or more seriously,

Sunflowers turn their faces toward the sun as they track it across the sky -- an activity known as heliotropism, or solar tracking. Special motor cells at the bases of the flower buds shrink or enlarge as they absorb water, which moves their faces toward the sun. This is the same way that many other flowers track the sun.

Once a sunflower is pollinated, it ceases solar tracking. This supports the idea that the reason sunflowers turn their flowers toward the sun is for the warmth, which attracts pollinating insects. Another possibility is that the sunlight aids the development of pollen. It's a different type of sun tracking than their leaves and the foliage of many other plants perform. Leaves track the sun to absorb light for photosynthesis.

homeguides.sfgate.com/called-sunflowers-turn-face-sun-74133.html

All our problems would be solved if only we would change our ways.

Wheelgarden Stately Oak Zone 7b, Northwest Georgia Posts: 3,747	Flowers facing wrong way Aug 10, 2019 18:04:50 GMT -5 Select Post Deselect Post Link to Post Back to Top Post by Wheelgarden on Aug 10, 2019 18:04:50 GMT -5 My view of the sunflowers as I approach the garden from the north. Kinda reminds me of the spectacular solar eclipse I got to witness a couple of years ago.
	"Adopt the pace of Nature: Her secret is patience." --- Ralph Waldo Emerson

binnylou Stately Oak 🇺🇸💙🇺🇸💙🇺🇸💙🇺🇸💙🇺🇸💙🇺🇸 Posts: 13,069	Flowers facing wrong way Aug 29, 2020 10:23:43 GMT -5 Select Post Deselect Post Link to Post Back to Top Post by binnylou on Aug 29, 2020 10:23:43 GMT -5 We had a volunteer sunflower show up in our yard, out close to the road. I suppose one of the birds dropped a seed. I watched it almost daily, but never saw it face any direction but east.
	Gardening like I'm gonna live forever, right here in central Iowa. Posting since 2008. 👩‍🌾

Flowers facing wrong way

Post by lilolpeapicker on Jul 16, 2019 9:24:28 GMT -5

Post by tom 🕊 on Jul 16, 2019 10:25:58 GMT -5

Post by Wheelgarden on Aug 10, 2019 18:04:50 GMT -5

Post by binnylou on Aug 29, 2020 10:23:43 GMT -5

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