Plants change as they grow up, and this change affects how they adapt to their surroundings. Scientists studied how a specific change in plants, called vegetative phase change, influences their ability to adjust to different environments. They used a plant called Arabidopsis thaliana to show that adult plants can change their leaf shape more than young plants, and this difference is because of vegetative phase change. The timing of this change varies between different plants and environments, suggesting that it helps plants adapt to their surroundings. This variation could lead to plants evolving in different ways to better survive in their specific environments.