Stems let food and water pass from leaves to other parts of the plant. Stems are very important to any plant that lives on earth. The flower has a small stem and the tree has a big stem also known as a trunk. A stem is the main shaft of a plant that develops buds and shoots and usually grows above ground. Stems are the one thing that holds up the plant. Also stems can be very stiff, as in tree stems, or trunks. Or a stem could be flexible, like a flower stem.

More Stem Facts Unlike most animals, a plant grows throughout its life. Growth not only makes the plant bigger, but also allows them to move. Plants cannot shift from one place to another, but plants can react to the world around them. A plant's stem grows upward toward the light, and its roots grow downward into the ground. Some plants grow around others or catch hold of them, using slender leaves called tendrils. These special kinds of movement in response to outside conditions are called tropisms. They are caused by cells that grow at different rates or when some cells rapidly swell up or collapse. For example, if a plant grows in the open, all the tips of its stems receive the same amount of light and grow at the same speed. But if one side of a stem is shaded, the the stem has to bend toward the light. This bending movement is called phototrtropism. Stems help them grow and live. Stems also help the plant support itself.

Different Kinds Of Stems

There are all different kinds of stems. There is the flower stem, which is flexible, while tree stems are very stiff and trees stems are much bigger than a flower stem. A flower stem could measure about 1 inch around but a big tree stem, like the Red Wood could measure about 50 feet around, or even more! Wow! Any plant needs a stem to live, stems are very important to any plant on earth. No plant could live without a stem, its the way of plants.

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