The plasticity of tiller dynamics in rice has been evident in the course of its adaptation to a wide spectrum of environmental conditions where the magnitude of the diversity of physical environments differs sharply and dictates irreversible changes in morphological features. The extraordinary genotypic permissibility of phenotypic plasticity has always perpetuated the changeover of tiller dynamics during rice antiquity and subsequent crop domestication. Rice crops grown under low soil moisture conditions develop ephemeral attributes by having a short life span, low biomass yield, and, above all, a mono-tillering feature. Conversely, rice plants grown in deep water extend their vegetative growth period and accumulate greater amounts of above-ground biomass at the cost of a poor harvest index. In addition to deep-water regions, plants with medium to lowland topologies harbour profusely tillering rice cultivars. In each situation, resilience under aberrant environmental conditions changes tiller dynamics resulting in the origination of new ecotypes or landraces pertinent to the niche.