Plants and How They Grow

Parts of a Plant#

Plants are amazing living things! Every plant has special parts that help it live and grow. Let's learn about each part.

Roots#

Roots grow underground. You usually cannot see them because they hide in the soil. Roots do two very important jobs. First, they hold the plant in place so it dös not fall over when the wind blows. Second, they drink up water from the soil. The water travels all the way up through the plant.

Stem#

The stem is like a straw. It carries water and food from the roots up to the leaves and flowers. If you look at a flower in a vase, the long part sitting in the water is the stem. On trees, the stem is called a trunk. Tree trunks are very thick and strong. On small plants like sunflowers, the stem is thin and green.

Leaves#

Leaves are flat and green. They use sunlight to make food for the plant. This is called photosynthesis — a big word that means the plant is cooking its own lunch using the sun! Leaves come in many shapes and sizes. Some are round, some are long and pointy, and some have jagged edges.

Flowers#

Flowers are often colorful and beautiful. Their job is to make seeds. Seeds can grow into new plants. Flowers smell sweet and look bright so that bees and butterflies will visit them. When a bee lands on a flower, it picks up tiny grains called pollen and carries them to other flowers. This helps new seeds form.

Putting It All Together#

Every part of a plant has an important job. Roots drink water. Stems carry it up. Leaves make food. Flowers make seeds. Working together, all these parts keep the plant alive and healthy!

Next time you go outside, see if you can find the different parts on a real plant.