Flower petal calculator
Pick a flower to see its typical petal count, or count your own petals and check if the number is Fibonacci.
Flower petal calculator: petals and the Fibonacci sequence
This flower petal calculator tells you the typical number of petals of common flowers and whether that count is a Fibonacci number. Pick a flower, or count the petals yourself and check if the number fits the famous pattern found throughout nature.
Why flower petals follow Fibonacci
The Fibonacci sequence (1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, 55, 89…) appears again and again in petals: lilies have 3, buttercups 5, delphiniums 8, marigolds 13, asters 21 and daisies 34 or more. It is not magic — it comes from how a plant packs each new petal at the golden angle (about 137.5°), the most efficient way to fit growth around a stem without overlap.
Typical petal counts
| Petals | Example flowers |
|---|---|
| 3 | Lily, iris |
| 5 | Buttercup, wild rose, columbine |
| 8 | Delphinium, cosmos |
| 13 | Marigold, black-eyed Susan |
| 21 | Aster, chicory |
| 34 | Oxeye daisy |
A note on real flowers
These counts are typical, not guaranteed. Real flowers vary, mutate and hybridise, so you will find a four-petal buttercup or a daisy with an odd count. The Fibonacci pattern is a strong tendency in nature, not a strict law.
Frequently asked questions
How many petals does a daisy have? Often 34, 55 or even 89 — all Fibonacci numbers — though garden varieties differ.
Is 4 a Fibonacci number? No, which is why four-petalled flowers are less common than five-petalled ones.
What is the golden angle? About 137.5°, the rotation between successive petals or seeds that packs them most efficiently and produces Fibonacci counts.
Calculator suggested by Pablo