Ah, the Sunflower! Beautiful, mysterious, hypnotic, bold, and mathematical. There is a definite order at work within the spirals of the sunflower. Take a look at the picture above. Notice the spirals, the pattern, the curves. The pattern of seeds within a sunflower follows what is known as the Fibonacci sequence, or 1,2,3,5,8,13,21,34,55,89,144...Yes! This takes us all back to math class where we learned (unless you were daydreaming like me), that each number in the sequence is the sum of the previous two numbers. Above, the spirals you see in the center are generated from this sequence. There are two series of curves winding in opposite direction, beginning at the center and reaching out to the petals, with each seed sitting at a certain angle from the nearby seeds to create the spiral. AMAZING!
I grew this sunflower in the back yard of our coastal home. It is called Autumn Beauty, and it is lovely to see, reaching as tall as 6 feet, and offering several blooms throughout the season. Sunflowers have long fascinated me with their structure, sizes, colors, textures, and the romantic way they wave in the sun, attracting both bird and bee, turning their heads to follow sun's light.
Next year I hope more sunflowers will emerge as this one will drop its seeds, creating strong plants, much stronger than the ones from a package. I can hardly wait for the miracle of God's order. For now, I will enjoy this one happily enough.
