Why do plants grow straight?

Ivy is climbing up the side of this house in Aberdeen, Scotland, to expose its leaves to as much sun as possible. Stuart Caie/Flickr, CC BY^[6][7]

Other plants, like ivy, grow as vines that climb up trees, walls and fences and use them for support. Climbing vines may grow straight, to the side or at angles, depending on what kinds of support structures they find to grow on. The purpose is to expose their leaves to as much sunlight as possible.

In my recent book, “Lessons from Plants^[8],” I explore how plants are usually positioning themselves to see the light. It’s fascinating that we humans, too, are often positioning ourselves to see something interesting.

So the next time you see a plant growing straight, take notice of whether light is directly above it. Or if you see a plant that’s not straight, notice whether it’s bending toward light coming from the direction it’s facing. Or maybe it’s a vine climbing on a structure and using that support to take a different route toward the sun.

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Authors: Beronda L. Montgomery, Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology & Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, and Assistant Vice President of Research & Innovation, Michigan State University

Read more https://theconversation.com/why-do-plants-grow-straight-169337