Official Kids Mag

Flower stem leaves roots Spring is here and lots of plants are growing, with their stems getting longer and stronger each day! Stems are the part of the plant between the root and the leaves. Stems give plants their structure. Their support allows plants to grow off the ground and reach towards the sunlight. Holding plants up can also help prevent them from being stepped on by large animals (like people). The stems do another important job. They contain the plant's transport system. Inside the stems, water and dissolved nutrients that are absorbed from the soil by plant roots are moved up to the leaves. Stems come in all different shapes and sizes. Some plants have short stems like the dandelions in your yard. Other plants have really big stems like the trunks of big oak or pine trees. Some stems are green and flexible and you can break them easily. Other stems are hard and covered in bark and you need a chainsaw to cut through them. Some stems have special features, like thorns, to protect the plant. Most stems are located above ground, but some plants, like Irish potatoes and bulbs like tulips and onions, have stems that grow below ground and help store food for the plant. What do sugar, paper, cinnamon, rubber, and maple syrup all have in common? They all come from plant stems! steMs In actIon You can set up an experiment to watch stems in action. What you'll need: • Cup or jar • Celery stem(s) with leaves • Water • Food coloring (blue or red work best) Place celery stalks in a jar (or jars) of water with a few drops of food coloring added (red or blue work best). Celery is actually a "leaf stem" rather than a true stem, but its structure of celery lets you see the colored water rise through its tissue and into the leaves, just like any stem. For best results, make sure you have fresh celery samples with leaves still attached and cut the end of the celery before placing in the colored water. Also make sure to place your celery in a warm location — if it's too cold, water will not be pulled up through to the leaves. Observe your celery for one week. Each day, have measure how far up the stem you can see the color change. steM scaVenger hunt Stems come in a variety of shapes, sizes, and textures. Some of them have thorns to deter hungry animals, or tendrils and aerial roots to help plants climb. Go on a nature walk in your yard or the park and look for all different types of stems. You can write or draw what you see in a notebook, take photographs, or use the Stem Scavenger Hunt form on this page. Sensational Name: Kids Mag 4 x 2" Customer Name: FLOWERS N FRIENDS Ad Number: 042521NWR7941 479-846-2137 www.flowersnfriends.com Best of Northwest Arkansas the We Deliver in Northwest Arkansas Mom likes flowers!! We make simple. Find a stem that: ❏ is green ❏ is covered in smooth bark ❏ is covered in rough bark ❏ is a vine ❏ has tendrils to help it climb ❏ is edible (may want to look in your kitchen) ❏ smells good ❏ is flexible or bendy ❏ has thorns ❏ is soft ❏ is scratchy ❏ is tall ❏ is short ❏ is skinnier than your finger ❏ is so big you can't reach all the way around it source: www.Kidsgardening.org stems www.officialKidsMag.com • May 2021 • 9

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