Roots and Stems
Every plant has roots growing underground. You usually cannot see them, but they are doing very important work! Roots have two main jobs.
Job 1: Anchor. Roots hold the plant firmly in the soil so it does not fall over or blow away in the wind. Big trees have huge root systems that spread out underground even wider than the tree's branches spread above ground!
Job 2: Drink and eat. Roots soak up water and nutrients (plant food) from the soil. Tiny root hairs — smaller than a strand of your hair — absorb water and send it upward.
The stem is like a highway connecting the roots to the leaves. Water and nutrients travel UP through the stem from the roots. Food made by the leaves travels DOWN through the stem to feed the roots and other parts.
Stems also hold the plant up tall so the leaves can reach the sunlight. In trees, the stem is the trunk — thick and woody. In flowers, the stem is thinner and green.
**Try This:** Put a white carnation flower in water with food coloring. After a day, the petals will change color! This shows how the stem carries water up to the flower.