Desert plants are able to live without much water. A desert seems like a bad place for plants. In most deserts, the sun is burning hot, and there's little water. Yet, many plants do live in...
Underwater forests and meadows
> ocean community Most ocean plants live in shallow water where they can get plenty of sunlight. Some plants live only in the salty water of the ocean. These plants live together in strange...
Plants of ponds, lakes, and rivers
Life in ponds, lakes, and rivers Plants that grow in and around ponds, lakes, and rivers give food and shelter to many animals. Grebes and other water birds use these plants to make nests....
Plants that like wet feet
Cats don't like wet feet. But the plants called cattails do. And so do many other kinds of plants. So these plants often live together in ponds, lakes, and rivers. Cattails, bulrushes, and bur reeds...
Giant lawns
Grass doesn't need as much water as trees and bushes do. So grass grows well in wide, flat places that are too dry for trees but not dry enough to be deserts. These places are like giant lawns. They...
Why a plant wilts
Have you ever seen fire fighters using a fire hose? The hose looks stiff and fat while water is running through it. But when the fire is over and the fire fighters turn off the water, the empty hose...
Why some trees stay green all winter
The kinds of trees that people use as Christmas trees are called "evergreens." Evergreen trees are "ever green." They don't change color and lose all their leaves in autumn as other trees do. The...
Why some trees lose their leaves in autumn
Many trees that live where winters are freezing cold lose their leaves each fall. Leaves make the food that keeps a tree alive. But to make food, and to stay alive themselves, leaves need water. A...
What roots do
Roots are like sponges. They soak up water. And roots are anchors, too. A plant's roots grow down into the earth. They spread out and send out branches. They curve around stones. They grow toward...
What’s in a seed?
A seed is a baby plant and a bundle of food all wrapped up in a package. Different kinds of plants have different kinds of seeds. Some seeds are as big as a baseball. Others are smaller than a grain...