[intro]
Hey, everyone! Guess what: I think spring is almost here!
Where we live, daffodils bloom in the spring…
and I saw my first one today!
[Squeaks is excited] I know! I’m excited, too!
Watching for daffodils is kind of a springtime tradition for me.
I planted some daffodils right behind The Fort a few years ago,
and I watch that spot in early spring every year to make sure
I don’t miss seeing those first daffodils poke up through the soil.
And every time, they appear in just the same spot as I planted them all those years ago!
It’s kind of magical! And science can help us explain why it happens.
See, daffodils grow in a way that’s different from some other kinds of plants.
They grow from what we call bulbs.
Bulbs are special parts of plants that grow under the ground.
[Squeaks wants to know if bulbs are seeds] Great question! Bulbs aren’t quite the
same as seeds —
but they do have some things in common with them!
For example, they need the same things to grow.
Like, Squeaks and I plant seeds in The Fort’s garden
every spring when it starts to get warmer outside.
And what do we make sure these seeds get after we plant them?
[Squeaks squeaks.] Yep, definitely. Water,
and after they sprout, some light.
And plants that grow from bulbs need these things, too —
all plants do!
So, winter can be hard on these kinds of plants.
There’s not a lot of sunlight in winter, and there’s less water.
And the water that is around tends to be frozen into ice!
And plants can't use water if it’s frozen solid.
So, many plants die in late fall.
And then, we have to plant new seeds in the spring.
But other plants come back year after year…
and we don’t have to replant them — because they neer actually died!.
We call these kinds of plants perennials.
Daffodils are perennials! In fact, most flowers that grow from bulbs are.
Let’s look closely at a bulb to see why!
If we look all the way in the center of the bulb,
we can see a tiny plant! Look how cute it is!
This teeny plant has mini versions of most of the parts that a big plant has,
like a squashed down stem… some little leaves…
and a tiny flower bud. But that’s not all!
The little plant is surrounded by what are called scales.
These scales store energy, which in this case looks like food and nutrients —
the sorts of things that living things like plants need to stay healthy and strong.
These help to keep the baby daffodil alive during the winter when it’s not growing.
[Squeaks squeaks.] That’s a great question!
Squeaks wants to know, if a plant isn’t growing… well, what is it doing?
Well, some plants go dormant.
That means they’re just hanging out, resting,
and waiting until there’s enough water and sunlight to start growing again.
Going dormant is a little like sleeping.
We can often tell a plant is dormant if we don’t see any leaves.
[Squeaks squeaks] Yes! Good call, Squeaks.
Some trees lose all their leaves in fall…
and go dormant in winter.
In the spring and summer, trees use their leaves to catch
light from the Sun and make food for themselves.
But in the winter, they don't have enough sunlight to make all the food they need to grow —
so they drop their leaves and go dormant.
They stop growing, but they stay alive!
Now, plants don’t need as much food and energy when they’re dormant.
But they do need a little bit.
And the food stored inside the scales of the bulb keeps a daffodil alive while it’s dormant!
Then, once spring arrives, the daffodil uses up most of the bulb’s food
to grow and push its leaves and flowers up through the soil!
And after that, the plant uses water and sunlight to get the nutrients it needs to keep growing.
When the daffodil is done blooming, the petals and leaves wither and die,
and the plant starts to store up food and energy
in its bulb again for the next winter. So, the whole story repeats!
Now, daffodils aren’t the only kind of flower that grows from a bulb.
Tulips, lilies, and some other kinds of flowers we see in early spring also come from bulbs.
So, come on, Squeaks! Grab your jacket and we’ll go look at the spring flowers together!
Thanks for joining me here at The Fort. If you want to keep learning and having
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