How do flowers drink water?

Quench your thirst for science as Scitech presenter Shanii explores water uptake and transport in plants!

We explain how plants use Capillary Action to transport water throughout the plant, even against other forces such as gravity. You can try this experiment using real plants or paper ones. Don’t forget to share your creations with us by using the #ScitechAtHome tag on social media.

What you’ll need:

• Water
• Food colouring
• Glasses / Cups
• Long-stemmed white flowers (eg: roses or carnations) or as an alternative you can use tissue paper.

Instructions

1. Gather your flowers. If using tissue paper as a substitute, roll up a piece to form a long stem, twist it a few times near the top then tear a few pieces of the tissue paper back from the end to create petals.
2. Pour a quarter cup of water into each cup. Add a few drops of food colouring into each cup.
3. Place flowers in water and watch what happens!

Note: If using real flowers for this experiment, it can take a few days for colour to reach the flower petals.

Looking for more activities to do at home?