What causes trees to grow upward?

[Shadowscape]

The Wikipedia article on gravitropism describes a mechanism called statoliths and their affect on auxin.

Thanks for that link!

 

[Shadowscape]

Idk I think its above my pay grade, that's all I've got.

Mine too.
Time to move on. Spring is around the corner.

 

[Winchman]

One thing I've always found interesting is that trees put more wood on the lower side of a limb as it grows.

Evolution at work.

 

[Shadowscape]

Kind of like my sagging triceps.

 

[ghostice]

I'll add this to the info so far: https://www.sciencefocus.com/nature/how-do-trees-grow-straight-up-even-on-a-slope/

 

[Matias]

Anecdotally, I have observed that all plants here, trees included, do grow with a few degrees of preference to the equator. I am near 40⁰N latitude, and have an unusually long growing season for being so far north, with lots of perennials not really going dormant for more than a few weeks most years. Maybe I am seeing patterns that aren't there, but I had started noticing this when I was a kid and took it for granted as a fact at this point.

The tops still grow upwards, but they branch and foliage heavier towards the equator.

 

[Shadowscape]

I'll add this to the info so far: https://www.sciencefocus.com/nature/how-do-trees-grow-straight-up-even-on-a-slope/

That is beginning to make sense to me. At least some explanation about how the cells are working to make this happen. I still have lots of questions unanswered, but headed in the right direction. Thanks.

 

[ghostice]

If you want to get into it, google "scholarly articles on statoliths and you'll get links to journal articles and such like: https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/nph.13968 trees
Cheers

 

[Shadowscape]

If you want to get into it, google "scholarly articles on statoliths and you'll get links to journal articles and such like: https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/nph.13968 trees
Cheers

Wow, that was a good article. Thank you, kind sir.
Had to go back and read that one again. Great article. Even they don't have all the answers yet.