Plants: parts and needs · Grade 3
Plants are living things. Most flowering plants have the same main parts: roots, a stem, leaves and flowers. Each part has its own job. To grow well, a plant needs light, water, air, warmth and nutrients from the soil – and room to grow.
Key facts
- Roots hold the plant in the ground and take in water and nutrients from the soil.
- The stem holds the plant up and carries water from the roots to the leaves and flowers. A tree’s strong, woody stem is its trunk.
- Leaves use light from the Sun to make food for the plant.
- Flowers make seeds, which can grow into new plants. Many flowers are bright and sweet-smelling to attract insects.
- A plant needs light, water, air and the right warmth to grow and stay healthy. In the dark it grows pale and weak; without water it wilts (droops).
- Deciduous trees, like oak and beech, lose their leaves in autumn. Evergreen trees, like pine and holly, keep their leaves all year round.