Sunflowers brighten up gardens and attract bees. But what do they do when the night falls?
At sunset, sunflowers turn to face east, setting for the night and preparing for a new dawn. During nighttime, their state of dormancy grants them respite from harsh rays of sunlight and excess heat.
Throughout the evening, sunflowers use their sap reserves as energy sources to protect themselves from cold temperatures. They also suspend photosynthesis processes to conserve energy. Once the Sun breaches cloud cover at sunrise, they go into action quickly, regaining and storing vital energy through harvesting sunlight.
Also, during the night, sunflowers collect dew drops on their petals to refresh their water supply. As morning breaks overhead, they slowly begin to sway in the wind and open up their brilliant yellow faces in anticipation of more nourishment and required amounts of light all day long.
Thus, while we slumber under starry skies, sunflowers sleep sweetly, knowing that come morning – sunshine will give them another day of respite and life’s blessings.