Garden with Insight v1.0 Help: alternate/opposite/whorled

Alternate leaves are arranged on the stem so that they alternate around the stem as you move up (one left, one right, one left if flattened from the side). Opposite leaves are in pairs, each pair of leaves 180 degrees apart. Whorled leaves are in sets of more than two (this simulation does not draw whorled leaves).

By the way, the angle between successive leaves (or sets of leaves) on a stem is remarkably consistent among plants in a species. Phyllotaxy (the arrangement of leaves and other structures around a central plant stem) is a fascinating topic both botanically and mathematically. In many plants the angle between successive internodes approximates to 137.5 degrees, which interestingly enough is mathematically the best angle for presenting the greatest possible leaf area to the sun.

How it works:
creating leaves