The buds at the

top of the stem

open last.

Pollen grains are

made at the end
of the stamens
in anthers.

Thistle

Each flower has

a bright pattern
to attract
bumblebees.

Wild pansy
F lowe rs
Written by David Burnie
Consultant: Mike Grant
 Senior editor Carrie Love Picture researcher Sakshi Saluja
US Senior editors Margaret Parrish, Shannon Beatty Producer, pre-production David Almond
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Original edition
Project editor Christine Webb
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Senior editor Susan McKeever
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Production Catherine Semark
Photography by Roger Phillips
Editorial consultant David Sutton, The British Museum
(Natural History)
First American Edition, 1993
This edition published in the United States in 2019 by DK Publishing
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A WORLD OF IDEAS:
SEE ALL THERE IS TO KNOW
www.dk.com
Contents
8 Looking at flowers 40 A flying start
10 Flowers in close-up 42 Garden flowers
12 Complicated flowers 44 Making flowers last
14 Flowers with a difference 46 Woodland flowers
16 Plants that don’t flower 48 Tropical flowers
18 The life of a flower 50 Grassland flowers
20 Bursting into flower 52 Waterside flowers
22 Blooming colors 54 Mountain flowers
24 All about pollen 56 Seashore flowers
26 Animal visitors 58 Desert flowers
28 Perfumed flowers 60 Index
30 Floating in the wind
32 Seed story
34 Juicy fruits
36 Flowers from bulbs
38 Springing into life
Looking at flowers
It’s hard to imagine a world without flowers.
Plants that have flowers grow almost
everywhere, from gardens to high
mountains. Every flower has a particular
shape and color, so that it can perform
a special job. By the time you’ve finished
reading this book, you’ll know what this
job is, and how the flower does it. Always
ask permission before picking a flower.
The pansy is a
typical garden
Animal visitors flower—big,
Many flowers have lots of animal bold, and bright.
visitors throughout the day, or
sometimes even at night. But
what are these animals doing?
Read on, and you’ll find out.

This rose flower has

a ring of five petals.

What’s what?
There is much more to a flower than just
its petals. Later on, you can discover
what else makes up a flower, and what
all the different parts do.
8
 KEEPING A RECORD
wing pad, keep records of
Using colored pencils and a dra
g glass is useful for looking
flowers that you see. A magnifyin
and tweezers will help you to
at flo wers close-up; scissors r
wer. A notebook is the flo we
investigate the parts of a flo
ce of equipment. If you want
explorer’s most important pie
shape, you can learn ho w
a lasting reminder of a flo wer’s
to press it.

Be careful while using

scissors. Always ask an
adult to help.

Drawing flowers helps you

to see how the different
parts fit together.

A cherry is
Making seeds a juicy fruit
Once a flower has withered, that contains
it starts to make seeds. Some a single seed.
seeds come in juicy cases.
We call them fruit. Later on,
you will see how seeds are
scattered, and how they turn
into new plants.
9
Flowers in close-up
A good way to find out about flowers is to take one apart.
The petals are often big and bright. If you take the petals
off, however, you will be left with the important parts of
a flower—the ones that make the seeds.

Simple flowers
Kingcups and poppies are called simple
flowers. Their petals are arranged in a
circle. In the center of the flower are
the parts that produce the seeds.

Center has
been cut
in half.

Kingcup
Seeds form
Center of
in pointed,
the flower
green parts,
Petal
called ovaries.

Zoom in
Use a magnifying glass to look more
closely at flowers. This will give you
a better view of the different parts.

Be careful if using a m
agnifying glass
in sunlight because it ca
n cause fire.

10
Many flowers in one Thistle
From a distance, this thistle seems like a
single flower, but take a closer look. It is
made of many tiny flowers, called florets,
packed together. In the daisy’s “face,” you
will see lots of tiny dots. Each of these is a
tiny flower. Flowers, such as thistles and
daisies, are composite flowers. Each strand
is a flower.

Tufty thistle
Look around in your
yard or in the park, and
see how many composite
flowers you can spot. The
tiny florets of this thistle
make a tuft that looks
like a bush.

Inside the thistle,

you can see the
tubelike florets.

Daisy pieces
Pull apart a large daisy
to see the different
florets that make it
up. Each floret makes
a single seed.

The “face” is made up Each petal is

of many tiny florets. really a separate,
lopsided flower.
Complicated flowers
If you look at flowers in a garden or in the countryside,
you will see that they come in many shapes. Some flowers
are flat and round. Others are shaped like funnels, beaks,
or even umbrellas. These types of flowers are called
complicated flowers.
How many petals?
An everlasting pea has five petals. Two
are joined together making the inside
of the “beak,” which sticks forward.
Two more lie on either side, while
the fifth makes a curved “hood”
around the top of the flower.

The “beak” is made Try and guess how m

any flowers
up of four petals. a flower head has in
this picture,
and then count them
.
“Hood”
petal “Beak” petal

Growing together
Many complicated flowers
grow together in clusters,
called flower heads.
“Beak”
petal
Anthers hold
a yellow dust
called pollen.
12
 Piped aboard
The Dutchman’s-pipe plant has flowers that
look just like a pipe. They attract flies with
their sickly smell. The flies can only escape
when stiff hairs inside the flower wither.

Spadix
A living trap
Imagine being Flies tumble from the
caught in a trap, spadix, or hood, into a
dusted with pollen, lower chamber, which
and then released. contains tiny flowers.
That is what happens
to tiny flies that visit the The club-shaped spadix
lords-and-ladies plant. gives off a scent that
attracts tiny flies.
The hood has
a slippery lining.

Lower
chamber

13
Flowers with
a difference
In nature, things are not always Find that flower!
what they seem. Some plants have Most of this sun-spurge
small, drab flowers, but they still flower head is made up
manage to put on a brilliant show of special cup-shaped
leaves, called bracts. The
of color. Instead of petals, they flowers themselves are
use brightly colored leaves, or tiny, and they nestle in
sepals, to attract insects. the middle of each cup.

Two in one
Take a look at this “lacecap”
hydrangea flower head. It is
made up of many tightly
packed flowers. Some of
the flowers have big,
colorful sepals,
while the others
are very small.

Inner flowers are

much smaller. Only
these can make seeds.

Outer flowers have

four big, colorful sepals
to attract insects.
14
Tropical treat Flower
You have to look closely
to see this plant’s true flowers,
because they are small. The
flowers are surrounded by special
pink leaves. The plant’s name,
bougainvillea (boo-gan-vil-ia),
is quite a mouthful!

This colored leaf

is called a bract.

a is
Leaf stems cling on Bougainville t. Ordinary
plan
by hooking around a climbing leaf
other plants.

Showy sepals
The showy flower of this
clematis is actually a ring of
sepals. Many plants have
small green sepals, but the
clematis has sepals that are
bigger and more colorful
Sepals than the rest of the flower.

Colorful leaves
When growing wild,
poinsettia (poyn-set-ee-ah)
plants grow into big bushes,
topped by leaves that turn
crimson during the flowering
season. The poinsettia’s real
flowers are surrounded by
these bright leaves.
15
Plants that
don’t flower
No matter how well you look after
a fern, you will never persuade it to
flower. Nor will you ever see flowers
on a moss. This is because moss Tree ferns
doesn’t have flowers or seeds. have thick
Instead, moss reproduces by “trunks.” Some
grow as high
making dust-like spores. as a house.

Feathery ferns
Most ferns live in damp places.
Their leaves, or fronds, are often
split into many pieces, giving
them a feathery outline.
An easy way to spot
ferns is to look at
their new fronds.
These usually
have a coiled
shape, which
unwinds as they
Many ferns grow bigger.
carry their
spores on the
back of fronds.

16
 Slime and seaweed
In summer, ponds sometimes fill with
green slime. This is made up of tiny
algae—very simple plants that have no
flowers. There are thousands of kinds
of algae, including seaweed, and the
green “dust” that covers tree trunks.

Some lichens
are brightly
Slow, but sure colored.
Look carefully at rocks, walls, and
tree trunks for lichens. They look
like flat patches that have been
stuck on. They grow very slowly,
but live for a long time. Lichens
are only half plant, since they are
a mix of fungus and alga.
The frilly “gills”
A lichen expands of a toadstool drop
outward as it grows. spores into the air.

Wet and dry

Mosses are small plants that
usually live in damp places. Some
live on walls and rooftops, where
it can get very dry. ln hot weather,
they turn gray and hard. When it
rains, they turn green and start adstools
growing again. Mushrooms and toremains of
the
Most fungi feed on
. A mushroom or a
other living things
part of a fungus
toadstool is just the
e rest of the
that makes spores. Th
ay. Although
fungus is hidden aw
, they aren’t.
fungi look like plants
The life of a flower
Have you ever noticed how wild poppies can
suddenly spring up on a patch of bare ground?
This happens because most poppies are “annual”
plants. They grow very quickly, and
they flower and die all within the
space of a year. Not all plants
are like this. Many more
live for a number of
years. Plants like this
are called “perennials”
(per-en-ee-als).

The poppy is
fully open.

Poppy flower
folded up
Flower
inside bud
bud

Rushing into flower

The poppy is an annual
plant. It puts all its energy
into flowering and making
lots of seeds as quickly as
it can. A single poppy flower
can make hundreds of seeds.
18
Long-lived plants
These garden cranesbills are perennials.
They have big leaves and spreading
roots. The leaves die in the fall, but
the roots stay alive through the winter.
In the spring, new leaves grow and
cranesbills flower once again.

The poppy Perennial plants grow

petals start where the ground is
to wither and not disturbed, from
fall off. woodlands to deserts.

A single cranesbill
flower makes just
five seeds.

Annual plants like this

poppy grow best where
the soil has been dug,
plowed, or moved around.

Seeds are shaken out by

the wind. The cycle begins
again the next year, when
the seeds germinate.
Seeds are Chamber
made in this containing
chamber. seeds

19
Bursting into flower
A flower bud is like a well-packed suitcase. It has
a tough outer cover, which stops it from being
damaged. Inside, the different parts of the flower
are rolled up tight, so they take up very little space.
As the bud grows, the flower expands
inside. Soon, the flower becomes so The highest bud
big that it can no longer fit in the bud. flowers first. When
it withers, the next
Then it bursts into bloom. bud opens.
Petals unfold after
Iris flower buds bursting through the
grow out from bud’s papery sepals.
folds in the
pointed leaves.

The buds are

protected
by sepals. Bearded bloom
The German iris,
also called “bearded iris,”
blooms in late spring to
early summer. It often
has fragrant flowers.
20
The three petals of Calling all bees
an iris that point An iris is not just a pretty
upward are called shape—it is a complicated
the “standards.” In machine that attracts bees
this iris, they are to visit it. Once a bee
frilly and rounded. has landed, the flower
sprinkles it with a
dust called pollen.

The three Bees use falls

drooping petals as landing
are called “falls.” platforms.

Streaks on the petals guide

bees to a sweet food called
nectar at the center of
Tightly
the flower.
rolled
petals
Pretty in pink
This lily bud is shaped like
a torpedo. It has six long,
Ovary
pointed petals. Lilies grow
from bulbs and come in
a range of colors. Inside the bud
This iris bud has
Anther coated been sliced open
with pollen just before it was
about to bloom. See
if you can make out
the rolled-up petals
and the ovary, where
the seeds are made.
Blooming colors
Flowers use their colors to
attract insects. When a bee
or a butterfly sees a brightly
colored flower, it flies
toward it. The color
is like a signpost that
shows where tasty
nectar can be found.

Color pigments
Flowers contain natural
substances called pigments,
which give color to their
petals. The varying colors
are a result of the different
types of pigment present.

Dyes from plants

Ancient Gr eeks and Romans
e Crocus
used plant pigments to dy
s flower
their clothes. They used crocu Madder
ad
flowers to make yellow, wo roots
roots
plant to make blue, and the
of madder plants for red. Woad
plant
 DO-IT-YOURSELF COLORS
To see how a flower draws up water, you will need some
white carnation flowers, tap water, and food coloring.

1. Take a white 3. Within an hour, one half

carnation and ask will change color! This
an adult to split happens because the flower
the lower half draws up the water and the
of the stem in two. color through the stem.

2. Put one side in

tap water, and the Water with
other in water with food coloring
food coloring.
Tap water

Green for growth

Plants have a green pigment in their leaves
called chlorophyll. Chlorophyll is very
important for plants, because it collects
energy from sunlight so that they
can grow. Before their leaves drop, the
green color of the leaves changes into
yellow and red—the colors you
see in the fall.

23
All about pollen
Every living thing on Earth is made up of tiny parts,
called cells. A plant cannot grow until two kinds of
cell join together. One kind of cell is called an ovule.
Ovules are formed in the base of the flower, inside a
chamber called an ovary. The other kind of cell is called
a pollen grain. Pollen grains are tiny. They have to join
up with the ovules from another flower, so they have
to move from one flower to another.
Stamen Coming and going
This lily flower makes ovules as well
as pollen grains. However, it will only
form seeds if it receives pollen that
has traveled from another lily flower.

The stigma is a
landing platform
that receives pollen
from other flowers.

The pollen grains are

made at the end of
the stamens in anthers.
24
A pollen grain
Stigma Pollen in close-up
lands on the
Pollen grains are so small
stigma and
that about 50 of them can
grows a tube
fit on a pinhead. Every plant
to the ovary.
has its own type of pollen.
Some are round, while others
are shaped like triangles
or sausages.
A seed is
formed here, Magnified pollen
in the ovary. grain of a hollyhock
Pollen at the ready
This lily bud has been
cut in half to reveal its
stamens and stigma. At
the end of each stamen
is a dark orange anther.
This makes the pollen, Hollyhock
Spikes
which is like a fine dust. plant

Anther

Sticky business
ther
A single an s Pollen grains are often sticky. When
lion
makes mil a bee visits a flower, it cannot keep
rains.
of pollen g from brushing against the anthers
and getting covered in pollen.
25
Animal visitors
Have you ever noticed insects flitting from flower to
flower? They are spreading pollen. When a bee visits
a flower, it gets dusted with pollen. When it moves on
to another flower, it unloads some of the pollen and
picks up some more. In return for its hard work, the
bee gets “paid” with sugary nectar.

Bird-of-paradise flower
The bird-of-paradise flower is pollinated
by birds. It is big and bright and
The petals
produces lots of sweet nectar.
are tough so
that they are
not damaged
The part of the by birds.
flower that
makes pollen is
like a perch. It
dusts pollen onto
its visitors’ feet.

The cape weaver

bird pollinates
the bird-of-paradise
flower in South Africa.
Bright colors
attract birds.

26
 A face full of pollen
Wild fuchsias (few-shas) are often visited
by hummingbirds. As the hummingbird
hovers to drink the nectar, its face gets
dusted with pollen. It then carries the
pollen to the next flower it visits.

Hummingbirds usually
visit red flowers.

Painted lady
butterfly

Long stamens dust

the hummingbird
with pollen. Teasel flowers have
lots of nectar.

Prickly drink
The teasel is preferred
by insects with long
tongues. Butterflies and
bumblebees can reach
past the teasel’s long
spikes to drink its nectar,
but ordinary honeybees
cannot reach far enough.

Look for seed-eating

birds
near teasel plants. Th
ey love
to eat teasel seeds.

27
Perfumed flowers
Have you ever wondered why flowers smell? The
answer isn’t to please our noses. Instead, flowers use
smell as a signal. Their scent spreads into the air, where
bees and other insects can detect it. The insects fly
to where the scent is strongest. This leads them to
the flowers, and to a sugary meal. Most
flowers smell strongest by day, but a few
release more of their scent at night.

Freesia flowers open one

after the other. Each flower
lasts for several days.

Bees are attracted

to flowers with a
sweet smell and
Sweet-smelling freesias bright colors.
Freesia flowers produce a rich scent
for many days, which is why they
are often cut and brought indoors.
Twenty kinds of freesia grow in the Bell-shaped
wild, but many more varieties have flowers
been specially bred by gardeners.

Calling all bees

Grape hyacinths have small, bell-shaped flowers.
They give off a rich scent during the day,
attracting bees in early spring. Grape hyacinths
can often be found in parks and gardens.
28
A scent in the night
Try this: smell a honeysuckle’s
flowers during the day and then
in the evening. You will find that
the evening scent is much stronger.
Honeysuckle is pollinated mainly by
moths. It releases its perfume after
dark to attract its nighttime visitors.

Smelly monster
The world’s biggest flower
is the giant Rafflesia. lt grows
up to 31 in (80 cm) across
and attracts flies by smelling
like rotting meat!

Moths have long tongues

that can reach deep into the
honeysuckle’s tubelike flowers.

The evening primrose

has a strong scent and
pale color to guide
moths toward it.

Night shift
Many flowers open up during
the day and close at night. The
flowers of evening primrose
work the other way around. As
dusk falls, they open wide and
release their scent to attract moths.
29
Floating in the wind
Not all flowers are pollinated
by animals. Instead, some use
the wind. These types of flower
shed their pollen into the air,
and the tiny grains are blown
far and wide. Some pollen lands
on the ground, some gets in our
eyes and noses, and just enough
lands on other flowers. If you
suffer from hay fever, you may
know all about this.

Stand back!
Stinging nettle flowers shed their
pollen into the air in a special way.
When the pollen grains are ripe,
a tiny “explosion” in each flower
shoots the pollen into the air.

Afloat in a boat
ve their pollen.
A few plants use water to mo
, a plant that you
This is Canadian pondweed
s two different
might see in fish tanks. lt ha
g stalks that reach
kinds of flower, both on lon
flowers scatter
up to the surface. The male
. Each pollen grain
their pollen over the water
ale flower.
drifts until it pollinates a fem
Blooming unnoticed fever are
f ro m h ay
ho suffer
Grasses have flowers, too, but t in
People w T h ey suffer mos s
o pollen. mer, when grasse
their flowers are often small
a llergic t
m
d early su
and dull. Many are surrounded
e air.
by green scales, making them spring an of pollen into th
ts
difficult to spot. Like all wind- release lo
pollinated flowers, grasses do
not need bright petals to Bearded
attract insects. Their flowers wheat
grow in clusters at the top of
tall stems. Next time you walk
Barley
through a field of long grass,
watch out for puffs of pollen
as you brush against them.

Grasses such as this

Timothy shed their
pollen into the air, Wild oat
where it is spread
by the wind.

Like grasses,
plantain has tiny
flowers packed
together on top
of a long stem.

31
Seed story
Seeds come in all shapes and sizes.
Some are as big as a soccer ball.
Others are so small that millions No seeds
Not all plants prod
can fit inside a matchbox. When seeds. The baby pi
uce
ck-a-
the seeds are ready, they leave the back plant grows
from
parent plant and begin a new life the parent plant’s
leaf.
It grows out from
on their own. Some seeds drop the stalk joins the
where
to the ground, but more often leaf.
When the parent
plant
they scatter far and wide. bends over and to
uches
the ground, the ba
by
plant takes root.

Flyaway seeds
Dandelion If you blow hard on a dandelion’s
flower seeds, they fly away. Each seed has
a tiny parachute to help it float in
the air. This helps the wind blow the
seeds a very long way, so they can
take root on a new patch of ground.
32
Fire lovers
Banksias grow in the dry bush of
Australia. Their hard, wooden seed Seed head
pods stay tightly shut until a fire
sweeps through the bush. When the
fire is over, the seed pods open up,
and the seeds drop onto the ground.

Flowers
wither and
drop off when
seeds form.
Hard pod
containing
a seed
Handle with care
Castor oil seeds contain
a deadly poison. However, Seeds grow
when they are crushed, inside a
the seeds produce spiny case.
a valuable oil, which
is used as a medicine.

Burdock seed head Castor

oil seeds

Taken for a ride

If you go for a walk in the country,
seeds often stick to your clothes.
This is how burdock seeds spread—
by “hitching a ride” with passing
animals and people.
33
Juicy fruits
Have you ever wondered why some plants pack up
their seeds in such a juicy way? The answer is that it
helps them to spread. When a bird feeds on berries,
it swallows the fruit, complete with the seeds. The
seeds pass straight through its body and out with
its droppings. They land on the ground and sprout,
often far from the plant that produced them.

Strawberry
The story of a strawberry flower
Wild strawberries are small,
and it takes a lot to make a
mouthful. Garden strawberries Unripe
have been made bigger by strawberry
“crossing” different kinds
of wild strawberry and by
growing only the plants that
give the biggest, sweetest fruit.

The red color A strawberry’s

shows that the seeds are on
fruit is ripe. the outside.

The seed has

a hard coat.
Known by name
Apples have been grown for
so long that there are now many
different varieties to choose from.
Each variety has its own name.
This apple is a Red Delicious.

Seeds Apple blossom

After an apple flower
is pollinated,
the base of the flower
swells up
around the seeds to m
ake the
fruit, which is the appl
e.

An apple’s seeds
are surrounded Flowers and seeds are
by the thick, hidden inside the fig.
juicy flesh.

The fig’s hidden secret

No matter how much you
search, you will never see
blossom on a fig tree. This
is because each fig is filled
with hundreds of tiny flowers.

Figs are pollinated by

a tiny female wasp. It mber,
squeezes through a h a t d o a to mato, a cucu mon?
W
po d full o f pe as have in com t,
hole in the end of the and a
in k th e y are vegetables, bu
fig and spreads pollen You may th ey are fruits, b
ecause
y spe a k ing , th
over the flowers inside. strictl
in seeds.
they all conta
35
Flowers from bulbs
Next time you see someone slicing open an onion, ask if
you can have a closer look. (This might make your eyes
water!) You will see that the onion is made up of many
tightly packed layers. Onions are bulbs, just like tulips
and daffodils. Each layer of a bulb is a pantry for food.
This food is used up as the plant grows.

a This parrot tulip’s

u go for
When yo frilly, curled
pring, see
walk in s guess petals look like a
n
if you ca ers parrot’s feathers.
lo w
which f bulbs.
m
gro w fro
Fit for a prince
Wild tulips grow in hot
Daffodil countries such as Turkey.
Hundreds of years ago, Turkish
princes grew them around their
palaces. Today, many kinds of
tulips are grown all over the world.

Narcissus Hyacinth

Fritillary
Crocus

36
 WATCHING A BULB GROW
Sit a hyacinth bulb on a glass jar
or vase. Fill the jar
with water and make sure that
the bottom of the
bulb just touches the water. Ro
ots and leaves will
soon appear, followed by the flo
wer. When the flower
withers, plant the bulb in soil. Thi
s let s it make more
food reserves so it can flo wer aga
in next year.
The hyacinth bulb is
packed full of food rese
rves.

South American giant

Hippeastrums (hippy-as-trums) Huge flowers shaped
grow wild in the mountain like trumpets
forests of South America.
However, you don’t
have to clamber through
a tropical forest to see
these giants—they will
flower quite happily
on your windowsill.

Sliced open,
the bulb shows
many closely The strong, hollow stem is
packed layers. about 30 in (75 cm) tall.
It holds the flower up
above the leaves. Each
stem bears between
three and six flowers.
Roots
37
Springing into life
Seeds may look dry and dead, but inside
each one are living cells waiting for the
chance to divide and grow. The wait may be
Seed case falls
a long one, from weeks to months to years.
off to reveal
As soon as it is damp enough and warm two rounded
enough, however, the seed’s cells start to seed leaves.
divide, and a new plant comes to life.
This is called germination.
The stem
First steps becomes
Like most seeds, the Seed longer.
sunflower germinates
root first so that it can
take in water from the soil.
The stem then appears at the
other end, and as it grows
longer it lifts the seed’s hard A green stem
case off the ground. Eventually, appears.
the case splits and falls off.
The root grows
downward.
Striking oil
About one-third of a sunflower seed’s weight is
made up of oil. You may have seen sunflower
oil in your kitchen—it is often used in
cooking and for making margarine.
A treat for the birds
Most sunflowers are annual plants,
which means that they germinate,
flower, and die in the same year.
Although they live for just
a few months, they can
get very large. If you grow
a sunflower, don’t cut it
down after it has finished
flowering. Instead, leave it
and watch the birds arrive
to feast on its seeds.

A sunflower’s
face always points
toward the sun.

“Giant” sunflower
plants may grow
to more than
10 ft (3 m) high.

”
eds of a “giant
If you plant se a nt
o wer, your pl
variety of sunfl an you!
r th
may gro w talle
39
A flying start
A single plant can make hundreds or even thousands
of seeds. Each seed contains a food supply. When
a seed germinates, the young plant uses this food
supply to help it through its first few days of life.

Racing ahead
Pole bean seeds are fun to grow
because they get off to a flying start. A second pair of The
This is because each fat seed has a leaves opens out. stem
large food supply packed into two special grows
The leaves longer.
seed leaves. In some plants, such as get bigger.
the sunflower, the seed leaves open
out above the ground. However, in the
pole bean, they stay below the surface.

Shoot straightens out

Hooked shoot above the ground. Seed leaves
grows upward First shrink as
through the leaves food supply
ground. open. is used up.

Root grows
out of a split in
the seed case.
40
 AMAZING BEAN
!
When a plant germ
inates,
it grows to ward th
e light.
You can see this fo
r yourself
by growing a bean
in a shoebox
“maze.” You will ne
ed a bean,
a plant pot, soil, ta
pe, and a
pair of scissors.
Be careful while
using scissors. Alw
ays
ask an adult to he
lp.
1. Cut a windo w in
one end of the bo 2. Now plant a bean
x, in a pot, put the
and then make tw pot inside, and put
o the lid tightly on
cardboard shelves the box. When the
that bean germinates,
stick out from the it will find its way
sides. through
Stand the box on en the maze and out
d. of the
window! Remembe
r
Windo w to water the bean
as it grows.

Shelf The plant

grows around
the shelf in its
search for light.

Position the bean

in the middle of
the soil.
Garden flowers
Have you ever noticed that some garden flowers
look very much like wild ones, but are bigger
and brighter? The reason for this is that all garden
plants originally came from the wild. They look
different now because gardeners, not nature,
decide which plants to breed.

Putting on a show
Like many garden plants, these polyanthuses
are hybrids. This means that their wild
ancestors were not polyanthuses
at all, but different plants. The
wild primrose is just one
of the polyanthus’s
distant ancestors.

Look for wild

primroses growing in
shady hedgerows and at
the edge of woodlands.
 The queen
Garden pansy of flowers
Roses have been grown
for thousands of years.
Wild Most garden roses are
pansy much bigger than their
wild relatives. They can Garden roses
keep flowering for often have
months, rather than many petals.
just a few weeks.

Flowers with a face Wild roses have

Wild and garden pansies just five petals.
both have flat flowers that
look like faces. If you look
closely, you’ll see that
the face is made up of five
petals. The garden pansy
has bigger petals that overlap.

Wild poppy
Garden poppy

Sowing themselves
Wild poppies live all over
the world, from the Arctic
to the tropics. Garden
poppies are easy to grow,
and new plants often
spring up year after year.

43
Making flowers last Pressed
poppy
Most flowers last for a few days, but some
last just a single morning. By pressing or
drying flowers, you can make them last far
longer. Pressing a flower keeps the outline of
its shape, while drying it helps to keep its scent.

ERS
PRESSING FLOW per
la ce a shee t of thick blotting pa
P
the flowers out on
in a book. Spread h
c o ver them wit
the paper, then Pressing works best
er sh ee t a nd close the book.
ano th top. with small or papery
o w stac k som e heavy books on flowers, such as
N fully
eek before care
Wait at least a w pansies and poppies.
e paper to see
peeling a way th
ers.
the pressed flo w
flowers
People often use
casions.
to mark special oc
er
In Hawaii, a flow
is a way
garland, or lei,
me.”
of saying “welco
 URRI
MAKING POTPO lorful mixture of sm
all,
-p ou r- ee) is a co
Potpourri (po To make potpourr
i, you will
ow er s an d pe ta ls.
scented fl s.
t and some flower
need a baking shee

1. Pick the flower

s when and petals
2. Lay the flowers
m and ing them
the weather is war on the sheet, spread
all flowers layer.
dry. Leave the sm out to make a thin
petals off
whole, but pull the
one by one.
the large flowers
mixture in
4. Put the finished
3. Ever y day, mov
e potpourri
so a bo wl, so that the
the petals around fills a room with it
s scent.
th em
that the air dries
re
evenly. The mixtu
is ready when it
rustles when you
st ir it. This
usually takes
at least a week.

45
Woodland flowers
With so many trees, woods
are mostly dark. When
the trees shed their leaves,
however, plants get enough
light to flower. The plants
The buds at the
flower in spring and try top of the stem
to make the most of the open last.
light before the trees
bear leaves again. Each flower has
a bright pattern
to attract
bumblebees.
Going up
The foxglove grows in woodland
clearings. It has dozens of flowers that
sprout from its tall stem. If you look
closely, you can often see bumblebees
clambering around inside the flowers.

Scented lily
Lily of the valley
has tiny, bell-shaped
flowers that give of f
a rich scent. In the
wild, it grows in
dry woodlands.
Wild garlic
Wild garlic carpets woodland
floors in spring. It is also commonly
known as ramson. The plant has
a strong smell of garlic and
all its parts can be eaten.

The flowers are

star-shaped and
have six petals.
Leafless
flower stalk.

Closing time
Wood sorrel grows in woods and
on shady banks. Its leaves have
three parts, called leaflets. The
leaflets close up at night. They
look a bit like folded umbrellas.

Leaflet

Spring flowers
Bluebells flower in
the middle of spring,
just as the trees
around them begin
to sprout their leaves.

47
Tropical flowers
In many parts of the world, plants stop growing
during winter. In the tropics, however, particularly
where it is wet, they can grow and flower all year
round. You don’t have to go to the tropics to see
flowers like these, because in cooler places they are
often grown as indoor plants.

Threatened orchids
Orchids grow all over the world, but the
biggest and most spectacular live in the tropics.
Some kinds have become very rare because too
many have been collected and sold.

Insects land on
the flower’s tail
and pollinate it. Paphiopedilum
(paf-ee-o-ped-i-lum)
Brilliant scarlet orchids come from
hood attracts Southeast Asia.
insects.

The tail flower

Wild tail flowers grow in
the forests of South America,
but they are popular indoor
plants. See how many different-
colored tail flowers you can spot.

Shiny leaves stay

green all year round.
 Passionflower
Passionflowers clim
b up
other plants and
hang on
by their curly tend
rils. Their
flowers are visite
d by bees
and hummingbird
s, and each
one lasts for just a
single day.

Plant piggyback
In a tropical forest, the place to look for
orchids is often not on the ground, but
high up in the trees. Many orchids live
by “perching” on branches or tree
trunks. They don’t do any harm to
the trees. However, by being higher
up, they do get a better share
of the daylight.

s can
Orchid o wn
gr
also be lants.
sep
as hou
49
Grassland flowers
In days gone by, fields and open grassy spaces
were often full of wild flowers. However, after
tractors and weedkillers were invented,
many wild flowers were plowed up, or
killed by poisonous sprays. Grassland
flowers still survive, but in special
places. Look for them in old
pastures, on roadsides, around
the edges of fields, and on
steep banks and slopes.

s
Nodding bellht blue
lig
The harebell’s Holding its ground
e tiny bells
flowers look lik Yarrow is a very tough
the wind.
as they nod in grassland plant. It can survive
in rough
Harebells thrive being cut by a lawnmower, and
re the
pastures whe it even thrives by the sides of roads.
.
soil is shallow

rs
Harebell flowe
gro w on lon g ,
thin stalks.
 Seeds that stick
If you walk through a field
where agrimony has just finished
flowering, you may help it to spread.
Agrimony’s hooked seeds will cling
to your clothes if you brush past them.

The prairies of North America

used
to be filled with wild flowers.
When the
prairies were turned into far
mland,
many wild flo wers disappeare
d.

Agrimony flowers
grow on a long stem.

From prairie to garden

Coneflowers get their name
because their petals point slightly
downward, giving the flowers a
pointed shape. Coneflowers are
often grown in gardens—look
for their flowers in late summer.

Yarrow and poppies in a field

51
Waterside flowers
The banks of many lakes and streams are like
watery jungles—packed with plants and flowers.
You’ll find that water and marsh plants are
choosy about where they grow. Some
need ground that is damp, but not
too wet. Other plants grow in the
water, but are rooted to the bottom.
A few just float on the surface, with
their roots trailing in the water.

At the water’s edge

If you look at the water’s edge, you can see
how different plants grow in different places. Monkey flower
However, make sure that an adult is watching Look for the monkey
when you are exploring near water. flower on the banks of
streams. You can see its
bright yellow flowers in
Reed mace (or cattail) grows in
late summer.
the water. Its flower head looks
just like a sausage.

Meadowsweet’s creamy colored

flowers have a rich scent. Look for
meadowsweet by the banks of streams.

Hemp agrimony
grows in damp
ground. It has small,
tube-shaped flowers
in big clusters.
Water babies
Some plants grow and flower
in shallow water, far away from
dry land. In streams, look for
water crowfoot. It has long stems
that trail in the water’s current.
On lakes and ponds, look for the
large flowers of water lilies and
their big floating leaves.

Underwater
Some flowers float, leaves are fine
while others are above and feathery.
the water on a stalk.

Water lilies have

big flowers with
fleshy petals.

53
Mountain flowers
Imagine you are on a windswept mountainside, with
no shelter. You may have to crouch down to keep
warm and stay out of the wind. This is just what many
mountain plants do. Instead of growing tall, they are
often shaped like pillows or mats, with short stems
that are tightly tucked together. This protects them
from the wind and helps them to keep warm in the
cold mountain air.

Rhododendrons
Rhododendron (ro-do-den-dron)
is a long name that means “red tree.”
You’ll find rhododendron bushes
growing in mountain valleys.

Rhododendrons
have spectacular,
trumpet-shaped
flowers that bloom
in late spring.

Thick, shiny
leaves

54
 Saxifrages can
grow where it is so
rocky that there
is almost no soil.

Food for the bees

Bell heather flowers late in
the
summer, providing food for
hungry Mountain phloxes grow
bees. Heather’s tiny leaves
can in low mounds. Phloxes
stand up to very strong wi
nds. that live on low ground
are taller than those
that live up high.

The edelweiss has

a woolly flower. The
“wool” helps protect
the flower from the
sun and the wind.

Rock-rose
Some rock-roses grow on rocky
hillsides, while others live in meadows.
All of them have thin, papery petals.

You’ll find gentians high

up in the European
Alps, even where there
is snow all year round.
Seashore flowers
Plants that grow on the seashore have to cope
with bright sunshine and fierce winds, as
well as salt from the sea. To do this, most
of them have strong stems, tough leaves,
and small flowers. Some seashore plants
live only on rocky shores, while others live
where the shore is made of sand or mud.

Protected by spines
Sea holly grows on shingle
banks and on the edges of
sand dunes. Its blue leaves
and flowers are protected
by hard, sharp spines.
Rabbits and other animals
eat plants on the seashore,
but they leave the prickly
sea holly alone.

Stiff leaves have

spiny edges.

56
 Saving water
Sea wormwood lives on muddy coasts.
Its leaves are covered in “fur” to help stop
them from drying out. If you see any, pick
a leaf and smell its strong scent. Always ask
permission before picking a flower.

Rock climber
Glasswort grows on steep
cliffs. Its fat, bullet-shaped
leaflets store water. Glasswort is
sometimes eaten as a vegetable.

Living on shingle
Shingle beaches are
difficult places for plants,
because there is no soil
and very little fresh water.
However, the sea pea
has very long roots that
can reach deep beneath
the pebbles.
The tough, leathery leaves
help to protect the sea
pea from seaside gales.

Mud queen
The place to find sea lav
ender is in a
salt marsh. It is one of th
e few plants
that can grow in very sa
lty mud. Sea
lavender blooms in lat
e summer. If
you pick and dry its flowe
rs, they will
keep their color.
Desert flowers
A houseplant that has not been watered is a sad sight.
Its leaves wilt, and eventually it will dry out and die.
But some plants can survive for months without a
drink. These plants come from deserts—the world’s
driest places. Many of them have amazing flowers,
and they all have special ways of coping with drought.

Rotten aroma
The carrion flower lives in dry places
in Africa. It has tough, water-storing
stems, and an unusual “perfume”—it
smells just like rotting meat, which
attracts meat-eating flies to pollinate it.

Cacti have star­

shaped flowers in
spring and summer.

Danger: Do not touch!

You’ll find wild prickly cacti
in the North and South
American deserts. Most of
them have swollen stems, but
no real leaves. Cacti have a
store of water that helps them
to survive long droughts.

58
Flowers of the outback
The Sturt’s desert pea is named after one
of the first European explorers of the Australian
Outback. It spreads over the sandy ground
to form a low bush. Each flower has petals
shaped like claws. Its leaves have a leathery
“skin” that stops them from drying out.

MAKE A MINI DESERT

Create a mini desert in an old aquariu
m. You will need:
sand, soil, stones, deadwood, and thic
k glo ves.

1. Add sand mixed with soil 2. Wearing thick glo ves,

and decorate the surface with plant some cacti in the soil.
stones and deadwood.

3. Keep the desert in a

sunny spot. In the summer,
only water it when it dries
out. In the winter and
spring, water it less often.

Be careful w
hen
handling ca
cti.
Index
cherries 9 G
chlorophyll 23 gentian 55
clematis 15 germination 19,
climbing plants 15, 49 38–39, 40–41
A color 8, 22–23, 26 gills 17
agrimony 51 coneflower 51
algae 17 glasswort 57
cranesbill 19
annual plants 18–19, 39 grape hyacinth 28
crocus 22
anthers 24, 25, 31 grasses 31
cucumbers 35
apples 35
H
D harebell 50
B daffodil 36
heather 55
banksia 33 daisy 11
hemp agrimony 52
barley 31 dandelion 32
hippeastrum 37
bats 26 drawing flowers 9
hollyhock 25
beak petals 12 Dutchman’s-pipe 12
honeysuckle 29
bees 21, 22, 25, 26, 27, dyes 22
hyacinth 37
28, 47, 49, 55
hydrangea 14
bird-of-paradise flower 26 E
birds 26–27, 34, 39, 49 edelweiss 55
blooming 20–21 IKL
evening primrose 29
blossom 35 insects 14, 22, 26–27,
everlasting pea 12
bluebell 47 28, 48
bougainvillea 15 iris, German or bearded
bracts 14, 15
F 20–21
ferns 16 kingcup 10
buds 18, 20–21
figs 35 lacecap hydrangea 14
bulbs 21, 36–37
flies 12, 13, 58 leaflets 47
bulrush (reedmace) 52
florets 11 leaves, colored 14, 15, 23
burdock 33
flower heads 13 lei 44
butterflies 22, 27
food supplies 23, 36, lichens 16, 17
C 37, 40 lily 21, 24–25
cacti 58, 59 foxglove 47 lily of the valley 46
Canadian pondweed 30 freesia 28 lords-and-ladies plant 13
carnation 23 fronds 16
carrion flower 58 fruits 9, 34–35 M
castor oil seeds 33 fuchsia 27 madder 22
cat’s tail grass 31 fungi 17 meadowsweet 52

60
monkey flower 52 R WY
mosses 16, 17 rafflesia, giant 29 wasps 35
moths 29 reed mace (cattail) 52 water crowfoot 53
mushrooms 17 rhododendron 54 water lily 53
rock rose 55 wheat, bearded 31
NO roots 19, 37, 38, 40 wild flowers 42, 51
nectar 21, 22, 26, 27 rose 8, 43 wild garlic 46
nettle 30 woad plant 22
night-scented flowers S wood sorrel 47
28, 29 saffron 22 yarrow 50, 51
oats, wild 31 saxifrage 55
oil 33, 38 sea holly 56
onions 36 sea lavender 57
orchids 48, 49 sea pea 57
seaweed 17
P sea wormwood 57 Acknowledgments
seeds 9, 10, 11, 18, 19,
pansy 8, 43, 44 Dorling Kindersley
24, 25, 32–35, 38, 39, 40 would like to thank:
paphiopedilum orchid 48
passionflower 49 seed cases 38
Helen Peters for the index.
peas 35 sepals 14, 15, 20
Polly Goodman for
perennials 18, 19 shoots 40 checking the text.
petals 8, 10, 12, 19, spadix 13 Anne Damerell for legal advice.
20, 21 spores 16
phlox 55 stamens 24, 25, 27
pick-a-back plant 32 stems 23, 37, 38, 40
pigments 22 stigma 24, 25
plantain 31 strawberries 34
pods 33 Sturt’s desert pea 59
poinsettia 15 sunflower 38–39, 40
pole beans 40–41
pollen 12, 13, 21, 24–25, T
26–27, 30–31 tail flower 48
pollination 24–25, 26–27, teasel 27
29, 30–31, 35, 58 thistle 11
polyanthus 42 toadstools 17
poppy 10, 18–19, 43, 44 tomatoes 35
primrose, wild 42 tulip 36
Thistle