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Phyllotaxis

Phyllotaxis is the pattern that leaves, seeds, or petals follow as they grow around a stem.

Think of it this way

Sunflower seeds in the center of a flower pack tightly in two sets of spirals. One set curves left, the other curves right. Each new seed drops into the largest open gap. This keeps every seed close to the center without crowding.

Explaining phyllotaxis by grade level

Look at a sunflower up close. The seeds make swirly shapes. Leaves on a stem also make patterns. Plants grow this way so each leaf gets sunlight.

Projects that explore phyllotaxis

Fibonacci Numbers Hidden in Plants and Shells

Successive leaves on flowering kale grow at about 137 to 140 degrees apart — an arrangement called the Golden Angle. That angle is what phyllotaxis describes: the precise pattern leaves follow as they emerge around a stem. When you measure each successive leaf on multiple plants, you can confirm the pattern holds consistently across specimens.

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