expression, godan verb (-ku)
bow en masse to authority; be drawn to something attractive; even the plants yield
Idiomatic expression meaning that many people submit to a powerful authority or are irresistibly attracted to something, just as plants bend in the wind. The literal image is 'even the plants yield'.
新社長の前では、社員たちは草木もなびくように従った。
Before the new president, the employees bowed like plants bending in the wind.
When that idol appeared, fans were drawn to the stage like plants bending toward the sun.