Plants that climb
If a green plant doesn’t get enough sunlight, it will die. The best way
for a plant to get lots of sunlight is to grow tall. But if a plant with
a very thin stem grows too tall, it will just topple over. So, as some
plants grow toward the sun, they find things to lean on. These plants
are called climbing plants.
A plant such as English ivy likes to be near a wall or tree. Then, as it
grows, it has something to lean up against. Tiny roots grow out of the
ivy’s stem and stick to the wall or tree. These roots keep the ivy from
falling down as it grows.
Strange and Surprising Plants \| 101
Some plants wrap themselves around trees or other plants to keep from
falling over. This is how honeysuckle grows.
Some plants send out leafy arms called tendrils. These tendrils wrap
themselves around fence posts and other things. In this way, the plant
keeps from falling over as it grows.
Every climbing plant has to have something to lean on when it starts to
grow. If there is nothing for the climbing plant to hold on to, it
begins to spread out on the ground. But if it doesn’t get enough
sunlight, it will die.
