Plants

It is important for scientists to sort animals into groups. It just as important to sort plants. Scientists sort them by how they make another plant like themselves. This is called reproduction. Scientists have decided to sort plants into three groups.

The first group of plants reproduces with spores. Spores are parts of the plant that break away and travel in the wind. Each one grows into a new plant if it lands on soil that is wet and rich. Ferns and mosses are plants that make a copy of themselves with spores.

Other plants reproduce with seeds. They are the second group. Seeds fall from the trees. They become part of the soil and grow into new plants. Evergreens, pine trees, and fir trees are plants that reproduce with seeds.

The third group is the plant that reproduces by flowering. Before seeds can form, the pollen inside the flower needs to move from one part of the flower to another. The seeds form inside the flower. Birds and insects help this by moving the pollen when they land on the flower. Some of the flowering plants grow into fruits to eat. The seeds are hidden inside the fruit. Apples, oranges, cherries, daisies, and roses are plants that have flowers.