Introduction to Plants

Plants help people and animals to live. Plants provide food for people to live. They also make oxygen. All people and animals need oxygen to breathe.  

What do plants need to grow?

They need 5 things to grow!

Plants need air, light, heat, water and soil.

Plants can grow in many different places.
Which do you think is best – a cold, dark fridge or a sunny windowsill?

Plants make their own food through a process called photosynthesis.

You can tell if a plant is healthy by looking at the way it grows and if the leaves are brown.

Different parts of the plant have different functions

Why do pollinators visit flowers?

Flowers produce nectar

Bees and butterflies will land on the flower to feed, and some pollen might become attached to their body. When the insect moves to a different flower, the pollen on the insect’s body goes too. Some of the pollen will find its way into the stigma, which is the reproductive part of a plant. This will then help the plant reproduce. 

Flower petals are bright bold colours and some produce a pleasant scent. 

This is the way the plant attracts pollinators.  

 

How do trees pollinate?

Some trees produce flowers to attract bees and other insects

Hazel, rowan and apple trees are just 3 examples of trees which produce flowers.

Conifer trees have cones rather than flowers. They reply on wind pollination, and maybe the occasional squirrel.  

What is pollen?

Pollen is a small,  yellowish colour and powdery like fine flour

Bees eat pollen because it is high in proteins and sugar.

What is pollination?

Pollination is the process that allows plants to reproduce

Pollination

Bees and flowers

Lots of plants rely on insects like bees to reproduce.

To make a seed, a flower needs to be pollinated.

Lots of plants rely on insects like bees to reproduce.

To make a seed, a flower needs to be pollinated.

Pollination

We need bees

Some flowers give the bees a sugary reward called nectar too like honeysuckle.

It’s not just plants that need bees; we need them too.

Without bees we’d have very little food.

Bees pollinate over 200 different species of fruit and vegetables that humans eat.

Photosynthesis

Plants live

Photosynthesis is a reaction that takes place inside a plant.

 

 

Photosynthesis takes place in the leaves of plants and trees.

Carbon dioxide, water and light are all needed for photosynthesis.

How can we help pollinators?

Homes for pollinators

To help pollinators, we need to make sure they have places to live.

How pollinator-friendly is your garden?

Fun plant learning