A recent study from Tel Aviv University has revealed that sunflowers utilize random movements, known as circumnutations, to optimize sunlight capture when grown in dense environments. This behavior allows them to grow in a zigzag pattern, ensuring that they do not block each other's sunlight, thereby enhancing collective photosynthesis. Researchers, led by Prof. Yasmine Meroz, conducted experiments and observed the plants' growth dynamics through time-lapse photography, confirming that plants can distinguish between shadows cast by buildings and those from neighboring plants. This finding addresses a long-standing scientific question dating back to Darwin regarding the functional role of these plant movements. The study, published in the journal Physical Review X, highlights the self-organizing patterns plants can achieve for optimal growing conditions. The research involved collaboration with the University of Colorado, Boulder, emphasizing the importance of inter-plant communication in dense ecosystems.