End of August – The Golden Ratio in Sunflowers

Sunflower seed heads often show spirals in two directions, with numbers of spirals being consecutive Fibonacci numbers (e.g., 34 and 55, 55 and 89). The angle between successive seeds approximates the golden angle (137.5° = 360°/φ²). This arrangement, derived from the golden ratio, maximises packing efficiency and light exposure. The mathematical reason: the golden ratio is the ‘most irrational’ number (slowest continued fraction convergence), leading to no simple periodic overlap. August ends with nature’s geometry – mathematics written in the fields.