March is for Gardening: Parts of Plants We Eat  
                 Explore different parts of a plant and identify which parts we eat!  
                 Have you ever thought about how the fruits and 
                 vegetables that are on your plate grow? Or which 
                 parts of the plant you eat? Afterall, according to 
                 Harvard University, 50% of what we eat everyday 
                 should be a mixture of different fruits and 
                 vegetables. We eat broccoli florets but not the roots 
                 they grow from; celery stems but not the flowers 
                 that appear later in the season; ears of corn but not 
                 the husks that enclose them. Many plants have the 
                 same structure, but different plants provide us (and 
                 animals) with their own unique parts that we can eat 
                 to stay strong and healthy! Think about your favorite        The Healthy Eating Plate from Harvard University, 
                 fruits and vegetables and how they grow…which                        School of Public Health. Source. 
                 part(s) of the plant do you eat?  
                  
                 The parts of plants that we eat are roots, stems, leaves, flowers, fruits, and seeds.  
                 Roots are the part of the plant that support the rest of the 
                 plant. Roots grow underground and keep the plant attached to 
                 the soil. This is where the plant will intake nutrients and water.  
                 Stems grow from the roots and are the main stalk of a plant.  
                 Leaves grow from the stems. They absorb sunlight and turn it 
                 into food through a process called photosynthesis, and they are 
                 also the main organ used in transpiration which is their way of 
                 releasing water back into the atmosphere.  
                 Flowers also grow from the stems of the plant. When flowers 
                 mature, they will often time produce seeds or fruit.  
                 Fruits are the seed baring structure in a flowering plant. Fruits 
                 grow after a flower has bloomed, matured, and been fertilized.  
                                                                                         Plant structure. Source.  
                 Seeds are a unit of reproduction for a plant.  
                  
                 Something that is important to be aware of is the use of terms in the botanical world verses the culinary 
                 world. In the scientific world, a tomato is a fruit because it forms from a flower and bares the seeds of 
                 the plant that it comes from. In the culinary world and in the world of nutrition tomatoes are considered 
                 vegetables based on how they are generally cooked with and their nutritional value. So, a tomato is a 
                 fruit and a vegetable in different contexts. This is true for many other botanical fruits.  
                  
                  
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       Activity: Identify the Parts of Plants That We Eat 
       Each photo shown below is a different part of a plant. Can you determine which is a root, stem, leaf, 
       flower, fruit, and seed? Find the answer key on the next page.  
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
                  
                  
                         
                             
                             
                             
                            
        
                     
                          
                            
                             
                             
                          
                        
                      
                              
                              
                              
                              
                              
                              
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                                 Broccoli is… a flower!  
                                 If you let broccoli 
                                 keep growing past its 
                                 peak harvest time, 
                                 the florets (top part 
                                 of the broccoli) will 
                                 start to flower and 
                                 eventually produce 
                                 seeds. Photo source.  
                                 Cabbage is… a leaf!  
                                 A whole bunch of 
                                 leaves, actually. They 
                                 grow together in a 
                                 tight ball. Once you 
                                 start peeling away 
                                 the layers you can 
                                 see that each layer is 
                                 a new leaf.  
                                 Photo source.  
                                  
                                 An apple is… a fruit!  
                                 Fruits start 
                                 developing from 
                                 flowers after they 
                                 have bloomed and 
                                 been fertilized. Then, 
                                 they make their 
                                 debut! Photo source.  
                              
                              
                                  
                                 Celery is… a stem!  
                                 The part we eat is 
                                 connected to the 
                                 roots on the bottom, 
                                 and the leaves on 
                                 top. The stems are 
                                 the main stalk of the 
                                 plant. Photo source.  
                              
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                                 Corn kernels are… 
                                 seeds! 
                                 When we eat corn, 
                                 those kernels are all 
                                 individual seeds that 
                                 can be planted into 
                                 the soil to grow more 
                                 corn. Photo source.  
                              
                                  
                                 A carrot is… a root! 
                              
                                 They grow 
                                 underground and 
                                 absorb nutrients 
                                 from the soil.  
                                 Photo source.  
                              
                              
                              
                              
                              
                              
                              
                              
                              
                              
                              
                              
                              
                              
                              
                                                                                      Answer key simplified. Photo source.  
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