Plants need something they can grow on

Side roots and new leaves grow from a carrot taproot.
Courtesy Huntington Education Department

Did you know that plants can be almost as big underground as they are above the ground? That's because plants have roots.

Roots help plants in many ways. They bring plants water and nutrients from the soil and they act like anchors to help plants stay where they are and not fall over.

The next time you eat a carrot, look at it closely. The carrot is actually a type of root called a "taproot."

Activity
Find a carrot with some of the green left on top. Ask an adult to cut your carrot about an inch down from the top. Eat the bottom. It's good for you! How does your taproot taste?

Now, place three or four toothpicks in the sides of the top piece. They should look like arms sticking out. Rest this in a glass of water, so that some of the carrot is touching the water. In about a week you will be able to see little side roots growing from your carrot taproot. Watch them grow and look at them closely. Your carrot may even grow leaves thanks to the help of its roots.

You can see all kinds of plants, along with art and a library of books, at the Huntington Library, Art Collections and Botanical Gardens in San Marino. For more information, call (626) 405-2100 or visit www.huntington.org.

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