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Maples are trees and shrubs that are often planted in parks and along city streets. They are good shade trees because their leaves form a thick dome. In autumn the leaves turn spectacular colors, such as yellow, pink, orange, scarlet, and deep purple.

There are about 200 different species, or kinds, of maple. They grow throughout much of North America, Europe, and northeastern Asia.

Maples range from small shrubs to large trees. They can grow to be more than 130 feet (40 meters) tall. The leaves usually have several fingerlike sections called lobes. Flowers appear in early spring. They vary from deep red to greenish yellow. Maples also bear papery wings containing seeds. These flutter to the ground, scattering the seeds away from the tree. The seeds can grow into new maples.

Maple syrup and sugar come from the sap of the sugar maple. These trees grow in Canada and the United States. People collect the sap in late winter or early spring. They cut holes into the trunk of the tree and gather the sap in buckets. Then they boil the sap to make it thicker. Sugar maples and some other species also provide wood for building furniture and other products.

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Maples are trees and shrubs that are often planted in parks and along city streets. They are good shade trees because their leaves form a thick dome. In autumn the leaves turn spectacular colors, such as yellow, pink, orange, scarlet, and deep purple. There are about 200 different species, or kinds, of maple.

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Water lilies are plants that grow in still or slowly moving water. They like ponds, streams, and the edges of lakes in tropical and mild areas. Their floating leaves are often called lily pads. Frogs like to sit on them.

Water lilies grow from the muddy bottom of a body of water. Thick underwater stems are buried in the mud. Long stalks reach up from the stems to support the round, waxy leaves. Some leaves grow to 6 feet (2 meters) across. The leaves usually float on the surface, but sometimes they are underwater.

A single flower blooms at the end of each stalk. The flowers are shaped like stars or cups. They can be white, cream, pink, yellow, red, orange, purple, or blue. Some flowers open only in the morning. Others open only in the evening. For example, the Egyptian lotus has white flowers that bloom in the night and stay open only until midday.

Water lily plants also produce a fruit. It looks like a nut or a berry. Inside are seeds. When the fruit opens the seeds sink or float away to produce new plants.

Water lilies provide shade and hiding places for fish and other water animals. Fish, ducks, and other animals eat them, too. Some people grow water lilies in garden ponds.

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Water lilies are plants that grow in still or slowly moving water. They like ponds, streams, and the edges of lakes in tropical and mild areas. Their floating leaves are...

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A cactus is a plant that grows where the soil is dry and rocky-most usually in the desert.

A cactus doesn't have leaves like other plants do.

A cactus has spines or thorns.

The plural word for cactus is cacti.

Overall, there are about 2,000 different types of cactuses found in the world.

Some are thin and very, very tall, and others are short and round like a ball...a very spikey ball.

There are even cacti that look like bushes and some that look like ping pong paddles.

Cactus Facts for Kids

There are about 2000 types of cacti

Cactus are xerophytes, specializing in hot, dry climates.

Cactus lifespan is somewhere in the ranges from 10 to 200 years

Many cacti live in dry places, such as deserts

A cactus plant can be very small or very big

The saguaro cactus is the largest cactus in the United States

The tallest saguaro cactus ever was over 78 feet tall

You will find lots of cacti in Arizona and California.

The spikes on the outside can be very sharp.

Some spikes can be even poisonous to humans.

Some cacti are edible especially from the 200+ Opuntia species

They are very good at conserving water especially during long dry periods.

The outside of a cactus is a waxy skin texture which helps it hold in water.

Cactus flowers can be yellow, red, pink, white, orange, or blue.

Some cactus can be eaten and some grow fruit.

The vast majority of cacti have no visible leaves.

Scientists have discovered fossils of cacti dating back 25 million years.

The cactus can also be used for fodder for animals once the spines have been removed.

In some countries like India they will use to cut this in herbal medicine.

Some cactus have been found in rainforests and even in countries like Canada.

Is a Cactus a succulent?

A cactus is a succulent.

A succulent is a plant that has spongy roots and leaves.

They have spongy roots and leaves so they can hold the water they get and save it for later.

They have to be able to do this because most cacti live in hot, dry areas that don't get much rain.

The tap root (main root) on a cactus is longer and stronger than the tap root of most plants.

This lets a cactus find and drink water that is deep down in the ground.

The tap root soaks up the water and holds on to it; sending little drinks at a time to the rest of the plant.

A cactus also has lots and lots of small roots that run close to the surface of the ground.

This lets the roots soak up any rain that falls quickly.

Do cacti flower?

Most cacti produce flowers.

The flowers a cactus produces can be as small as a dime or as large as a dinner plate.

Cactus flowers are also very colorful; bright yellow and pink, deep red and orange.

Some even have white flowers or striped flowers.

Some cactus flowers last for a few days or even weeks like other flowers do.

But some cactus flowers only last for a few hours.

The spines or thorns on many cacti are poisonous.

Getting poked by them can make you feel dizzy, cause you to loose feeling where you were poked or even make you sick.

Can you eat Cacti?

Many kinds of cacti are edible.

This means you can eat them.

The juice and pads of the prickly pear (minus the spines, of course) is a favorite food for people living in Mexico and other countries in Central and South America.

The juice and pads of a prickly pear are low in calories and high in fiber and vitamins.

They fill you up without making you gain weight.

The juice is full of vitamin C-just like oranges.

Are cacti easy to grow?

Cacti are easy to grow and take care of because they need so little water.

They love the sun, but if you live somewhere where it gets cold in the winter, you can bring them into your house and they will be fine until it gets warm enough for them to go back outside.

Cacti can live for many, many years, though, so be sure you are willing to take care of them for a long, long time.

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Cactus Plants - Fun Cacti Facts for Kids

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A cactus is a plant that grows where the soil is dry and rocky-most usually in the desert. A cactus doesn't have leaves like other plants do. A cactus has spines or thorns. The plural word for cactus is cacti. Overall, there are about 2,000 different types of cactuses found in the world.

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Lichen

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Lichens are made up of two tiny living things: a fungus and an alga. The fungus and the alga benefit from living together. The alga produces food, and the fungus gathers water. In this way a lichen can survive harsh weather that would kill a fungus or an alga growing alone. This type of relationship is called symbiosis.

Lichens grow in most parts of the world. There are about 15,000 different species, or types. Lichens can live where few plants can survive. They are found in deserts, near mountain peaks, and in the frozen Arctic. They grow on stones, tree trunks, dead wood, and on the ground.

Most lichens are barely 0.25 inch (6 millimeters) high, but some can spread out to cover several feet. Many lichens look like flat, crusty blotches. Some look leafy. Some hang down in strands. Others have stalks and resemble miniature forests. Lichens range in color from brown to bright orange or yellow.

Some kinds of lichen are eaten by reindeer and even by humans. Other kinds are used to make dyes, medicines, and other products.

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Lichens are made up of two tiny living things: a fungus and an alga. The fungus and the alga benefit from living together. The alga produces food, and the fungus gathers water. In this way a lichen can survive harsh weather that would kill a fungus or an alga growing alone.