While Geckos have been a very popular source of inspiration for new materials, a recent study in Langmuir suggests that we should not overlook the humble rose petal. Rose petals, like many plant ...

Rose petals' unique shapes come from stress during growth. Differential growth and mechanical stresses create curled edges. Research shows petals violate a mathematical condition, causing stress.

At its heart, this research uncovers the hidden geometric principles behind the unique shape of rose petals. While scientists extensively studied shape morphing in natural sheets such as leaves and ...