A single axiom. One character: F. Forward. The simplest instruction — grow upward, toward light that exists only as a mathematical constant.
The first branching event. A fork in the genetic code. The stem remembers its angle, pushes two new shoots into the void at 25.7 degrees from vertical.
Sub-branches emerge. Each one shorter than its parent by a factor of phi — 0.618, the golden ratio embedded in the rewriting rules. Mathematics becomes morphology.
Complexity accelerates. What began as a single line now holds thirty-four segments. The structure is self-similar at every scale. Zoom in; the pattern repeats.
Leaves appear — elliptical forms extruded from branch terminals. Each leaf rotates slightly, following a phyllotactic spiral. The canopy begins to cast computed shadows.
Color differentiates. Branch tips warm to amber as nutrients accumulate. The youngest growth pulses faintly — a chromatic heartbeat measured in render cycles.
Flower buds form at the outermost terminals. Specimen rose pigment floods the apical meristems. The algorithm has discovered reproduction.
The root system mirrors the canopy below the soil line — a ghost reflection in teal. What grows up must also grow down. Symmetry across the horizon.
Full maturity. The specimen fills its allotted space. Every branch is a record of every rule application. The plant is its own source code, compiled into form.
Beyond this point, growth becomes refinement. Micro-details emerge — leaf veining, bark texture, fruit clusters. The resolution increases while the structure stabilizes.