Plants & Trees Facts for Kids
Fascinating facts about the plant world
Emmer wheat, one of the first cereals cultivated by humans 10,000 years ago in the Fertile Crescent, is still grown today and has experienced a revival as a health food.
Some tropical pitcher plants (Nepenthes) grow so large that their pitchers hold up to 3.5 litres of digestive fluid and have been found to contain drowned rats and frogs.
Plant diversity is not evenly distributed around the world — the regions with the most plant species per square kilometre are found close to the equator, in tropical mountains, and on certain islands.
Over 50% of approved medicines are derived from or inspired by natural compounds found in plants, fungi, and microbes — making biodiversity conservation directly important for human health.
Invasive plant species cost the global economy an estimated $26 billion per year in control and crop losses, and are one of the leading causes of native plant extinction.
Roses have been cultivated by humans for at least 5,000 years — ancient Egyptians grew them, and they featured in Chinese gardens over 3,000 years ago.
Garlic releases a strong chemical called allicin when its cells are crushed, which repels insects and has been shown to fight bacteria — as well as making food taste delicious.
A tiny acorn, about the size of your thumb, contains everything needed to grow into a massive oak tree that can live for hundreds of years.
Buttercup petals are so reflective and shiny that if you hold one under your chin, the yellow colour reflects onto your skin — this is because the petals have a special mirror-like cell layer.
Lily pads are simply the large flat leaves of water lily plants; they are coated in a waxy substance that makes water bead up and roll off without wetting them.