Food Colored Flowers

In order to demonstrate the essential functions that roots and stems provide for plant growth, students can participate in a VERY straightforward science experiment! Simply gather a few plastic cups, food coloring, and some white flowers (carnations work best). Inside the plastic cups, add water and a generous amount of food coloring (both liquid coloring and the new squeeze tubes seem to work just fine). Warm water will allow the coloring to dissolve best. Once the coloring is mixed, add the flowers to various cups. Leave them for a short while, then begin to take note of the changes taking place. As the colored water is absorbed, students will be able to see how the water is absorbed into the plant and the petals of the carnation change color. A beautiful display!