Fibonacci in Nature

This flower has 13 petals.
13 is a Fibonacci number!
Photo credit:
www.constructingtheuniverse.com

The Fibonacci sequence is interesting from a math standpoint...if you are into math. But if the only place to find Fibonacci was in a math class, it wouldn't be nearly as interesting as it inevitably is. So let's take a walk outside and see what's out there.

This trillium flower has three petals.
Photo credit: britton.disted.camosun.bc.ca

Where I live, it's still winter. Cold, dark, no snow surprisingly, but definitely no spring flowers yet. Still, it won't be long before our flowers are blooming in full color and I wanted to show you some examples of what I like to call 'Fibonacci flowers.' 

There are a variety of places you can see Fibonacci numbers in flowers. The simplest is in the number of petals on a bloom. Starting with the number three, you can find countless examples of flowers with three, five, eight, thirteen, and even twenty-one petals, as you will see in the photos that follow.

This flower has five petals.
Photo credit: www.bio.tamu.edu

This beautiful pink clematis has eight petals.
Photo credit: alexorbit.com

This star daisy has thirteen petals.
Photo credit: murderousmaths.com.uk

This daisy has twenty-one petals.
Photo credit: britton.disted.camosun.bc.ca

So does this one!
Photo credit: psophis.blogspot.com

Why these numbers? No one knows. It's just one of those oddities of nature that SO many flowers bloom with a Fibonacci number of petals, and not four, or seven, or twelve, for example. In all fairness, there are certainly flowers with petals that number something other than a Fibonacci number. But as winter gives way to spring, take a look around and see what you find. You just might be surprised to find Fibonacci numbers all around you!