Does the vegetative to reproductive transition occur simultaneously in plants?

Scientists have found that the developmental change from vegetative to reproductive happens in just a few days. During the transition, plants slow down leaf growth and develop reproductive organs instead. This transition begins the process of converting nutrients in the leaves into the plant’s reproductive organs and eventually into their fruits and grains. Even under these highly controlled conditions, Arabidopsis thaliana — a type of wild mustard — began showing signs of the developmental transition at different days. While the plants had the same chronological age, they were at different points on the plant’s path to ‘puberty.’ The researchers identified specific genetic changes that were related to the timing of this developmental transition. The researchers also found that the plants began the process of shedding their leaves even before they had visible reproductive structures. As in the case of human growth, plants grow in their own unique ways.