Plant Life Cycle

The Plant Life Cycle

How living things grow, live and die

 Day 0

Each seed contains a tiny, new plant called an embroyo . The outside of the seed is called the seed coat. A seed can remain sleeping for years, as long as it stays dry and cool.

Day 1-2

A day or two after planting and watering, the tiny seed germinates . During germination, the seed takes up water and swells until the seed coat cracks.

The radicle  emerges first, followed by the hypocotyl and two cotyledons .

                                  Day 2-3

The hypocotyl  pushes through the soil, pulling the cotyledons  along with it.

No longer needed, the seed coat drops from the cotyledons  to the soil.

                      Day 4

Aboveground, the hypocotyl elongates as the plant reaches upward for light.

Day 5-13

Above the ground, the true leaves, stems, and flowers originate at a point at the very top of the plant.

Underground, the roots grow downward. Roots anchor the plant into the soil so they do not blow or wash away.

Day 14-20

The flowers bloom! Once the flower opens, the sepals  are hidden beneath the petals. Hidden deep inside the flower are nectaries .

In exchange for food, insects pollinate  flowers.

Day 21-40

As the seeds mature and ripen, the outside of the pistil  swells to become a seed pod .

The leaves and flowers slowly wilt and fall off.

Inside each seed is a tiny embroyo  , waiting for water and warmth so it can germinate  into a new plant.

Now that you know more about how lants grow and mature and start all over again with their life cycle, tell me what you think you learned from this story.

What was a new term?

Is there a timeframe that you want to learn more about the cycle of the plant?