Sunflowers by Maria M.

all about

Sunflowers

a guide about the life cycle of flowers just for you

By Maria Mateescu

Table OF CONTENTS

1 Stages of the Life Cycle: Seed

2 Stages of the Life Cycle: Sprout

3 Stages of the Life Cycle: Adult Plant

4 Stages of the Life Cycle: Sunflower

5 Sunflower Adaptations

6 Sunflower Fun Facts

STAGE 1: SEED AS WITH MOST FLOWERS, A SUNFLOWER STARTS WITH A SEEDLING. SUNFLOWER SEEDS HAVE TO BE PLANTED IN THE SPRING OR SUMMER, BECAUSE THEY NEED TO BE WARM AND NEED RAIN. THERE ARE A L O T O F T Y P EAccording S O F toSWikipedia, U N F aLnews OW E Rdiscusses SEE D Sor article current recent news of either general interest (i.e. daily newspapers) I N T H E W O R LorDof, a specific A N DtopicS (i.e.

OM E SEEDS YOU political or trade news magazines, C A N E A T . I F Y O U Pclub L Anewsletters, N T A orStechnology E E D news I N websites).

THE FALL OR SOMETHING,THEY WON'T GROW UNTIL SUMMER OR SPRING. Sunset

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SEPTEMBER 2019

STAGE 2: SPROUT THE SECOND STAGE OF A SUNFLOWER IS A SPROUT. YOU HAVE TO GIVE IT PLENTY OF WATER, SO THE ROOTS CAN STRETCH DOWN AND DRINK. THE DEEPER THE ROOTS GO IN THE GROUND, THE STRONGER THE PLANT WILL BE. THE WATER PLANTS TAKE FROM THE GROUND IS IMPORTANT BECAUSE IT CONTAINS NUTRIENTS THE PLANT NEEDS TO GROW. WATER ALSO MAKES IT EASIER FOR NUTRIENTS TO MOVE FROM THE ROOTS TO THE REST OF THE PLANT. 2

STAGE 3: ADULT PLANT THE THIRD STAGE IS AN ADULT PLANT, THAT IS BLOOMED OR BLOOMING. AS THE STEM GROWS IT WILL USE WATER, NUTRIENTS FROM THE SOIL, AND ENERGY FROM THE SUNLIGHT TO MAKE LEAVES. THEY ALSO USE SOMETHING CALLED CHLOROPHYLL TO HELP THEM GROW. CHLOROPHYLL GIVES PLANTS THEIR GREEN COLOR. IT ALSO HELPS PLANTS PICK UP ENERGY FROM SUNLIGHT. THE PLANT THEN USES THIS ENERGY TO TURN WATER AND NUTRIENTS INTO SUGAR THAT THE PLANT CAN EAT.

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STAGE 4: THE SUNFLOWER! THE LAST STAGE OF THE SUNFLOWER IS A GROWN-UP SUNFLOWER. A FEW DAYS AFTER IT BECOMES AN ADULT SUNFLOWER, THE SUNFLOWER BEGINS TO MAKE A SUGARY LIQUID CALLED NECTAR. BEES GO FROM FLOWER TO FLOWER DRINKING IT. WHEN BEES GO FROM FLOWER TO FLOWER, THEY SPREAD NECTAR AROUND. THIS CAUSES SUNFLOWERS TO MAKE SEEDS. IN THE FALL, SUNFLOWERS START TO SHRIVEL UP AND THEY START TO DIE. THEY DROP THEIR SEEDS, WHICH SLIDE INTO THE GROUND, AND STAY BURIED UNTIL SPRING. THEN THEY GROW INTO NEW SUNFLOWERS!

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Adaptations

• Sunflowers need water, rain, air, and sun to survive.

• Sunflowers are known for their hardiness and their ability to survive extreme heat.

• The stem of a Sunflower has bristles. Those are to prevent water loss as well as deter animal predation.

• Sunflowers adapt through their heliotropic heads.

• Sunflowers have a hearty root system that stretches deep into the ground to draw out nutrients, minerals and moisture the plant needs to grow so it can survive on less rainfall.

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Fun facts About a sunflower

• Sunflowers thrive in all 50 states in the U.S. • Animals that save seeds for the winter happen to love sunflower seeds.

• Sunflowers bloom during the summer months in dry, wide open environments.

• Sunflowers can grow up from 6 to 10 feet.

• The tallest Sunflower in the world was measured at 30 feet and 1 inch!

• An Astronaut named Don Pettit once went into space with a Sunflower seed, and planted it in the spaceship!

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