Math in Bloom

Although it often goes unnoticed, when we look more closely, we can begin to see how math is woven into the natural world around us. Fibonacci sequences appear in plant growth patterns that optimize light, space, and reproduction. Succulents, broccoli, and butterfly wings are brilliant displays of fractal geometry that recur across living systems. Even the propagation of plants reflects a seemingly infinite capacity for regeneration and adaptation.

As part of the Simons Foundation's Infinite Sums national math initiative, the Queens Botanical Garden (QBG) in Flushing, Queens, has joined Math in Bloom, a national cohort of six gardens that are creating interactive experiences that celebrate the mathematical beauty inherent in nature. As living spaces for exploration and learning, participating gardens are hosting events that invite visitors to rediscover their locally inspired landscapes and displays of flora and fauna—and to notice the underlying math that gives rise to their elegance, complexity, and sense of wonder.

Qiyao Zhu is a research fellow in the Center for Computational Biology at the Simons Foundation’s Flatiron Institute. Her research combines mathematics, computation, and biology to better understand how complex molecular structures form and function. Morgan Potter, supervisor of gardeners at QBG, works closely with the cultivation and stewardship of the garden’s living collections. Regina Forlenza, assistant director of visitor services at QBG, develops programs and experiences that help visitors engage with nature and with one another. Together, they have spent much of the past year dreaming up ways to activate the garden and invite people of all ages to experience it through a fresh mathematical lens.

Join them for a conversation with Elizabeth Simolke, senior program manager in the Simons Foundation’s Science, Society & Culture division, as they share more about how they are leaning into math in nature to help visitors experience the garden in new ways. They’ll also offer a sneak peek of what they have planned for their next Math in Bloom celebration on Infinity Day (Saturday, August 8, 2026).