Where Should I Live? Read about each plant.  Think about the plant's adaptations and help it find the right environment (desert, mountaintop, or pond).

1.  I'm a fir tree.  My leaves are needle-shaped so strong winds can blow through them without tearing them.  The sap in my leaves keeps me from freezing.  My branches are sloped so heavy piles of snow will slide right off me. Where should I live?

2.  I'm a golden barrel cactus.  I have large spines that catch dew before it drops to the ground.  My roots fan out around me to catch the rain or dew before it is absorbed into the sand. Where should I live?

3.   I'm a water lily.  The large air pockets in my leaves help them float.  My leaves have a waxy surface so that water rolls off them, allowing them to bring air to my roots.  My leaves are round, and this keeps them from tearing when wind blows over me. Where should I live?

For numbers 4-7, read about the plant and its adaptation.  Decide what the adaptation helps the plant do in order to survive: get water, get light, protection, growth, reproduction.

4.  The leaves on a maple tree move and adjust themselves to get into the light.

5.  The sedum plant has waxy leaves that keep stored water from evaporating.

6.  The melastoma plant offers sacs for ants to live in.  The ants, in turn, defend the plant from hungry insects.

7.  The spider plant puts out runners, or vines, with baby plants on them.  When a runner bends or breaks, the baby touches the soil and grows roots.