Plants that fit their place
Plants cannot walk to water or shade, so their bodies fit the place where they grow. Many desert plants lose very little water. The date palm has long roots that reach water deep in the ground and tough leaves with a waxy skin. The acacia, which grows in Sinai and the Eastern Desert, has a very deep taproot, small leaves that lose less water, and thorns that stop animals from eating it. The prickly pear has thick pads that store water and spines instead of leaves. A water lily has the opposite problem: there is plenty of water, and it must stay on top of it. Its wide, flat leaves lie on the water and its long, bendy stems reach up from the mud. Mangroves grow in the salty sea water of the Red Sea coast, with roots that stand above the mud. A pine tree has thin needle leaves that let snow slide off and lose little water. Different plants solve the same problem, getting enough water, in different ways.
| Plant | Place | Adaptation |
|---|---|---|
| date palm | desert, oasis | long roots, tough waxy leaves |
| acacia | dry land | deep taproot, small leaves, thorns |
| prickly pear | desert | thick pads store water, spines |
| water lily | pond, river | floating leaves, bendy stems |
| mangrove | salty shore | roots above the mud, copes with salt |
| pine | cold mountain | needle leaves |
Plant detective. With a grown-up, visit a garden, a street or a park and find three different plants. For each one, draw its leaves and write where it lives, what problem the place has (little water, shade, wind) and which part may help. If you cannot go out, look at pictures of plants in a book.