Why Sunflowers Face East
Published:09 Nov.2021    Source:University of California - Davis

Sunflowers face the rising sun because increased morning warmth attracts more bees and also helps the plants reproduce more efficiently, according to a study by researchers at the University of California, Davis. The results were published Aug. 9 in New Phytologist.

 
"It's quite striking that they face east," said Stacey Harmer, professor of plant biology in the UC Davis College of Biological Sciences and senior author on the paper. "It's better for them to face east, as they produce more offspring."