Sunflower Movement and Direction

Small sunflowers follow the Sun, but old ones always face east. Why?

Young sunflower flowers move during the day. They turn to follow the Sun across the sky. This helps them get more light and grow fast.

Old sunflowers stop moving after they are big. They always face east in the morning and afternoon. The side facing east gets warm from the Sun every day.

This heat opens their petals in the morning. The warmth is very good for bees and butterflies. These insects fly near the flowers to find food.

So, young sunflowers follow light, but old ones need warm air. They stay open all day to catch the heat.

Sometimes, a bee lands on an old flower early in the morning. The sun is low and not very bright. The bee can still find the flower because it is warm.

If a young flower stays in one place, it gets too much light on the south side. The plant grows crooked and looks bad.