Seed
Seedling
Like all plants, a tree begins from a seed. Inside each tree seed is a tree waiting to be born! A seed must have food, water and light to grow. Once the seed sprouts, it grows into a seedling that grows into a sapling and eventually saplings grow into trees that produce their own seeds.
Roots
All trees have roots, which have two important jobs to do. They anchor the tree to the ground so that it can stand upright, and they absorb water, minerals and nutrients (tree food) from the soil.
Bark
Tree bark
The trunk of a tree, which is protected by a tough outer covering of bark, connects the roots to the branches and transports water and minerals from the soil to the rest of the tree. The trunk supports the tree and as it grows taller than the plants around it, it is able to reach more sunlight, which is essential for growth.
Branches, Leaves and Twigs
Branches connect the trunk to the leaves and transport water and minerals to the leaves. The leaves, which are held up by branches, are arranged in a way that captures maximum sunlight. The tips of branches are known as twigs and these are the growing ends of the tree. Leaves grow on the twigs and produce food for the whole tree, but can only do this in sunlight.
Leaf
Photosynthesis (or how the tree feeds itself)
Leaves use energy from the sun to convert carbon dioxide in the air and water from the soil into sugars to feed the tree. This process is known as photosynthesis. Trees release oxygen into the air during photosynthesis. This is very important, as all animals -- including us humans -- need oxygen to survive.
