What are some flower facts for kids?


Quick Answer

Flower facts for children should start with the basics and can include some of the inner workings of flowers. To keep kids' interest, flower facts can move into the bizarre or the trivial.

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What are some flower facts for kids?
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Full Answer

A good place to start is with the parts of a flower, such as the stem, petals and leaves. Plant anatomy goes deeper with the stamen and the pistil, the internal parts of the flower and the sepals, or small, green structures at the base of the petals. Next, kids can learn the basics of photosynthesis, which is flowers' method for getting nutrients. Photosynthesis works when a plant uses the sun combined with carbon dioxide and water to produce the sugar glucose.

Some kid-friendly facts about flowers are historical. For instance, flowers first appeared 140 million years ago – ferns pre-date that time. At one time, tulips were more valuable than gold in Holland. People in ancient times burned the leaves of aster flowers as a ward against evil spirits.

Other facts are related to unusual flowers. For example, the titan arum is called the corpse flower because it smells like rotting meat. These are also one of the largest flowers, growing as big as 8 feet tall and 12 feet wide. Venus fly traps are flowers that eat meat. They use small hairs to trap flies, which they consume using digestive juices. A mimosa punica is so sensitive it folds up its leaves when touched.

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