p5.js - Fractal Trees - Coding Challenge #15

Overview

This is a p5.js sketch inspired by the Coding Train’s Coding Challenge #15 on creating a simulation of Fractal Trees with Objects.

This served to explore some of the internal physiology of tree growth.

How Meristems are stem cells within plants that are responsible for the creation of different plant organs and regulate growth.
- In this this sketch, the small elliptical leaves are produced by the meristems.
That Apical Meristems are at the ends (tips / apex) of the stems and regulate growth by production of Auxins.
- These are visualized as green-circles at the end of segments.
Auxin is a plant hormone that at high levels leads to elongation of shoots, and suppresses lateral growth (both in terms of widening of branches and opening of lateral buds).
- The Auxin concentration is visualized by a reddening of the otherwise white tree segments.
Axillary-buds are created by Apical Meristems at the attachment point of leaves, but their growth is dormant until the Apical Meristem has grown sufficiently far a way. This is a form of Apical Dominance.
- The buds are yellow circles, seen at the attach point of leaves.
Gravitropism is a natural behavior of plants to grow relative to the gravity they are experiencing.
- In this sketch, this is demonstrated within the roots, where the root segments have a a sense of which direction they are growing in, which drives their branching behavior. (Only segments growing downward oscillate between branches on each side; left and right segments only branch downward).

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