Plant Mathematics and Fibonacii

Oak Leaves

We continue to look at Fibonacci numbers and how nature continually exhibits this pattern. As stated in my last post, this number pattern can be linked to ordinary things we see every day such as the branching in trees, the arrangement of leaves on a stem, the flowering of an artichoke, or the fruitlets of a pineapple. BUT were you aware that scores of plants, including the elm or linden trees, grow their leaves, twigs and branches placed exactly half way (1/2) around the stem from each other?

Similarly, plants, like beech trees, have leaves located 1/3 of a revolution around the stem from the previous leaves. In the same way, plants like the oak tree have leaves positioned at 2/5 of a rotation. Plants like the holly continue this pattern at 3/8, while larches (conifers) are next at 5/13. The sequence extends on and on. Looking at these fractions side by side (see below) do you see a number pattern in the numerators?

Likewise pay attention to the precision of a similar pattern in the denominators. Interestingly, in the numerators and denominators, if you add the two sequential numbers together, you create a Fibonacci series where all numbers in the series are the sum of the two preceding numbers.

Mathematicians recognize this unique pattern as the Fibonacci sequence. Since patterns such as this one are commonplace in botany as well as other areas of science, they are regularly studied so we can better understand the relationship between mathematics and our world. In my opinion, such mathematical precision and accuracy can only be the product of an intelligent Designer. "Through Him all things were made; without Him nothing was made that has been made." (John 1:3 - NIV)