Scientists Discover Trees Have Hidden 'Muscle' That Helps Them Straighten

Researchers from INRAE and Clermont-Auvergne University showed that young poplars sense stem bending and straighten it by changing the growth location of tension wood. In an experiment without light and gravity, stems straightened within weeks.

• Poplars straightened bent stems without light or gravity cues
• Tension wood works like a muscle: contracts and pulls the stem
• After transfer to rotating platform, wood grew on opposite side
• Discovery may help breed lodging-resistant cereals