Introduction
Trees are all around us, in forests, gardens, and parks. There are many different trees, and they give us many things.
Where do you see trees?
What do we get from trees?
DISCOVER
Now read and discover more about trees!
What is a Tree?
A tree is a tall plant. It has leaves, branches, a trunk, and roots.
A tree makes its food with light from the sun. It grows tall so it can get lots of light.
DISCOVER
Some coast redwood trees are 110 meters tall!
A tree grows every da-y. Look at this old tree trunk. How old is it? Count the rings. Every ring is one year.
Parts of a Tree
What do the different parts of a tree do?
Leaves grow on branches. They make food for the tree. To make
food they use water, air, and light from the sun.
Roots take water from the ground.
The trunk takes food down the tree from the leaves, and it takes water up the tree from the roots.
Bark is the wood on the outside of the trunk. It protects the trunk.
Flowers and Seeds
Some trees have big flowers. Some trees have very little flowers.
Flowers make pollen. The wind blows pollen from one flower to
other flowers. Insects take pollen to other flowers, too. Then the tree can grow seeds.
Seeds grow inside fruit. The fruit protects the seeds. The fruit falls from the tree. Then the seeds go into the ground. New trees grow from the seeds!
Different Trees
Some trees are broadleaves, and some trees are conifers. Broadleaves have flat leaves. Conifers have thin, sharp needles.
Conifers are strong trees. Animals can't eat the sharp needles. The needles don't get dry so the trees can grow in dry weather. Conifers can grow in hot weather or cold weather.
Many broadleaves can’t grow in cold weather or dry weather. Then all the leaves fall off the tree. The leaves grow again in hot weather or rainy weather.
DISCOVER
Half a million leaves can fall off a very, very big tree!
What Trees Do
Trees are good for us! We use oxygen in the air to live. Too much carbon dioxide in the air is bad for us. Trees clean the air. They take carbon dioxide out of the air, and they put oxygen into the air.
Trees protect us from the rain and the light from the sun.
Trees are good for the ground, too. The roots make the ground strong. The ground around trees isn't dry, so other plants can grow.
We can play and have fun in trees, too! Thank you, trees!
Things from Trees
Apples, oranges, bananas, nuts, and lots of other fruit grow on trees.
We get rubber from trees, too. We make car tires and many other things with rubber.
The trunks and branches of trees give us wood. We make toys, tables, homes, and many other things with wood. We make paper with wood. We use wood to make fires, too.
DISCOVER
In North America, there are amazing totem poles. People make them from trees!
Homes in Trees
Many birds, insects, and other animals live in trees. Animals can
find food there. Trees protect animals from the wind and rain.
Trees can protect animals from other animals, too.
This monkey lives in a tree. It eats leaves and fruit from the tree. It can move from branch to branch.
This snake lives in a tree, too. It likes its home. It can find birds to eat there. Foxes and other big animals can't catch the snake in the tree.
DISCOVER
Some plants live in trees, too!
Protect Trees
Some animals and little plants are bad for trees. Animals eat the leaves and bark. Little plants grow around the trunk. Then the tree can't get water.
People are bad for trees, too. Cars, fires, and factories can make the air and rain dirty. Then the trees can't grow.
Some people cut down trees. They take wood and they make new things on the land.
DISCOVER
Every day people cut down about 10 million trees.
Let's stop this. Let's grow new trees. Let's protect trees!