Roots Don't Grow Upwards, Do They?

I've never really thought about it before. Those roots on the surface. I suppose I've always assumed they just get pushed up from down below, nowhere else to go. So I could hardly believe my eyes when I saw this fuchsia root growing UP the side of the plastic cup. I had always assumed they always grew downwards, not upwards. Apparently not. It's funny how reality suddenly strikes us and we see things we've only looked at before.

So, just to make sure I wasn't dreaming, I removed another fuchsia from its pot and examined its roots. Sure enough, some of these were also growing upwards.

These are not the main roots; they're lateral roots, branches off them. I would be interested to know why some roots (the minority) turn upwards. Is this just a random process, or is it connected with something else, such as a more nutritious spot in the compost, or even a cunning plan on the part of the plant? I should not be at all surprised to discover the latter.

I have turned the pot on its side. If gravity is involved (geotropism), the roots should change direction by 90 degrees. But there are factors which might influence the results, such as light, nutrition and water levels. Never mind. Let's wait and see . . ..