It was a fabulous day exploring the plant world! Professor Jonathan led us through the Vanderbilt Research Greenhouses and we were mesmerized. He explained that plants use all their resources to survive. Flowers use all their resources to produce more seeds / reproduce.

We saw plants with their roots about ground, plants with apparently no roots, 6’ tall stems that are actually leaf petioles…we learned about cactus that grow in the tree tops of rainforests…we thought about plant features that lead bats to be pollinators…we were filled with questions about the carnivorous pitcher plant, making a connection to our stomach rather than our mouth…we saw a corpse plant, learning that it blooms for 2 days every few years and smells horrible…we studied a Costa Rican antherium…and we found out that Professor Jonathan and his plant world colleagues don’t consider vegetables – they consider what a chef would think of as a vegetable as actually a fruit or part of the plant! [Think of a potato as a root, carrot as a tap root, beans as fruit protecting the seeds inside, etc.]  Phew! It was such a great discovery trip, and our young Budding Botanists did a great job with behavior choices on the journey, as well!

Our observation skills are in high gear now. Following our field trip, we debriefed, and then did station rotations, sharing noticings of composite flowers, succulents, hydrangea, and “vegetable” plants. It is so fun to learn with your observant scientists this week!

Mrs. Pfister

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